Man shot, store looted in Nasa protests

Protesters in Nairobi run to safety after tear-gas canisters were lobbed at them on October 6, 2017 during the anti-IEBC protest. Opposition leader Raila Odinga and other principals avoided the demonstrations again. PHOTO | EVANS HABIL | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • In Busia, rowdy Nasa supporters lobbed tear gas at the police sparking running battles.
  • In Kakamega, five people were arrested after a group of youth attempted to barricade a road and light bonfires.

A man was shot and a supermarket was looted, while police got a taste of tear gas as Nasa’s push for electoral reforms through street protests turned ugly Friday.

The protests in many parts of the country had started off peacefully but soon turned ugly as police tried to prevent violence.

In Kisumu, things took a turn for the worse after a group of youth broke into Tumaini Supermarket and made away with unspecified number of goods.

SHOTS FIRED

And when the police responded, it turned into a battle that lasted more than three hours, paralysing business in the lakeside city.

In Homa Bay, Governor Cyprian Awiti was among demonstrators tear-gassed as protests against the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission turned chaotic.

His deputy Hamilton Orata was clobbered by the police while another protester suffered gunshot wounds.

The injured man identified as Emmanuel Konduto, 32, is a boda boda rider in the town.

He was rushed to St Paul Hospital. 

BUSINESS

Homa Bay police commander Marius Tum confirmed the shooting incident, but denied police had used live bullets.

In Busia, rowdy Nasa supporters lobbed tear gas at the police sparking running battles.

The showdown that lasted more than two hours saw demonstrators paralyse transport in the border town while businessmen had to shut down their shops.

It is not known where the protesters sourced the tear gas canisters but police suspected they must have collected unexploded ones lobbed in previous demos.

ORDER
The situation was however different in Nairobi.

Opposition supporters in the capital held peaceful anti-IEBC demonstrations with hundreds of police deployed at Anniversary Towers and within the central business district to maintain law and order.

At the electoral commission headquarters, normal activities continued with vehicles also moving normally on University Way.

Unlike the Monday protest, on Friday the protesters were largely peaceful with police not interfering with them.

MOMBASA
A section of protesters however engaged police in running battles in Muindi Mbingu Street where they were dispersed as they tried to make their way to Anniversary Towers.

Several leaders led by Nairobi Woman Rep Esther Passaris, her Kisumu counterpart Rosa Buyu and Dagoretti North MP Simba Arati led different groups of demonstrators to Anniversary Towers.

Opposition leader Raila Odinga and other principals avoided the demonstrations again.

CRIME
In Mombasa, Nasa supporters held their anti-IEBC demos peacefully.

The group of supporters led by Mvita MP Abdulswamad Nassir and several MCAs demonstrated in the streets without any presence of police, unlike Monday where a contingent of police was deployed to keep watch.

But the demonstration disrupted transport in the CBD.

In Kakamega, five people were arrested after a group of youth attempted to barricade a road and light bonfires.

Western region police coordinator Mr Moses Ombati said the youth were trying to take advantage of the demos to engage in criminal activities.

Reporting by Justus Ochieng, Samwel Owino, Benson Amadala, Gaitano Pessa, Nelcon Odhiambo, Barack Oduor, Elisha Otieno, Magati Obebo and Mohamed Ahmed