Candidate shot dead as police battle protestors in Busia

A map of Butula in Busia County where a class 8 candidate was shot dead by police during protests over killing of two guards on November 9, 206. GRAPHIC | GOOGLE MAP

What you need to know:

  • The residents accused police officers has contributed to insecurity in the region.
  • The chaos disrupted activities at the sub-county headquarters for nearly four hours before calm was restored.

A Standard Eight candidate was shot dead on Wednesday and two other people injured as police battled a villagers protesting the killing of two guards in Busia County.

The 14-year-old girl sat the Kenya Certificate of Primary Education (KCPE) exam last week at the St Catherine Butula Girls Primary School.

Western Region Police Commander Moses Ombati said the girl was caught up in the confrontation and hit by a stray bullet after villagers raided a police camp and attempted to set it on fire.

Mr Ombati said the protestors vandalised three police vehicles and pelted the residence of the sub-county commissioner with stones, smashing windows.

He said officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) were called in to help contain the riots at the Butula Sub-County headquarters.

“Tension was high and the officers were forced to open fire after the rowdy youths started vandalising vehicles and destroying property,” said Mr Ombati.

The chaos disrupted activities at the sub-county headquarters for nearly four hours before calm was restored.

Villagers accused police officers at the camp of being involved in the brutal murder of the guards after a police sniffer dog was used to track down the suspects.

The guards had been hacked to death by the attackers who broke into a shop and stole a television set before escaping.

The residents accused police officers has contributed to insecurity in the region.

Busia Deputy Governor Kizito Wangalwa visited the trading centre and called for investigations into the killing of the two guards and the shooting of the girl.