Man on rescue mission shot dead

A Kenya Red Cross volunteer was shot dead by police in Bungoma District as he assisted victims of a road accident in which six people died. Two people died on the spot while four others died at Bungoma District Hospital where they were being treated.

“We received 13 victims last night and so far we have lost four. “The rest are responding to treatment,” said Dr Mulianga Ekesa, the medical superintendent. The accident, which occurred on Tuesday night in Sikata, on the Bungoma-Webuye highway, involved an oil tanker and a 14-seater matatu.

Bungoma deputy police boss George Kingi said the matatu was trying to overtake the tanker. Soon after the accident, residents are said to have rushed to the scene to siphon fuel.

A witness, who declined to be named for fear of victimisation, said police shot in the air several times to disperse the crowd siphoning the fuel before opening fire at them. Red Cross youth leader Michael Sululu is said to have been shot as he attended to the driver of the tanker. He is said to have been dressed in official uniform and had a first aid kit.

A Red Cross official, who sought anonymity, told the Nation that Mr Sululu had moved the injured driver away from the oil tanker, where he was administering first aid. “I saw a police officer in plain clothes shoot at him three times before turning to shoot in the air,” he said.

Another man who was shot at the scene is admitted to hospital in critical condition. The driver of the matatu, which was reduced to a shell, said people had rushed to the scene to assist the injured, not to siphon fuel. Residents, led by the Red Cross branch chairman, Dr Mohammud Said, have criticised the shooting and called for thorough investigations and action against the officers involved.

Not identified

Residents on Wednesday evening almost set ablaze a police vehicle that had ferried bodies to the mortuary. At the same time, top officers from the Western provincial police headquarters were investigating the shootings. The Western provincial police boss, Mr King’ori Mwangi, told the Nation he had sent a team to carry out an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the shooting of the two people.

The team comprises the provincial CID boss Joseph Mugwanja, assistant commissioner of police Francis Lemange and the provincial traffic boss Naomi Ichami. Mr Mwangi said victims of the accident included a man and two women who had not been identified.

He said police officers who had arrived at the scene were forced to shoot in the air after a commotion erupted as a crowd scrambled to get fuel from the tanker. He said the situation got out of hand after some of the people turned violent and began stoning police officers.

In Nairobi, Red Cross secretary general Abbas Gullet said the organisation had received the report and would be asking the Internal Security minister to take action on the officer.

“We have asked that this incident be urgently investigated and appropriate action taken against the officer for this senseless and reckless behaviour,” said Mr Gullet in a statement. “We also ask the Government to ensure security and safety of our staff and volunteers while rendering humanitarian services to Kenyans,” said Mr Gullet.