A police officer was killed after being struck in the chest by a stone fired from a catapult during the anti-government demonstrations that took place in Kisumu County on Thursday,
Ben Oduor, a member of the Keroka Police Station in Nyamira County, passed away on Thursday night in the critical care unit (ICU) of the Aga Khan Hospital.
According to Nyanza Regional Police Chief Noah Mwivanda, the corporal was struck by individuals using a huge homemade catapult and stones as they attacked the police in running combat.
“Our security officers have embarked on a massive search for the catapult, which we have now classified as a lethal weapon,” he said.
The large Y-shaped stick was used by up to four rioters in a raid at Jamia Supermarket as an implement for launching objects such as stones at police authorities. It features prongs connected by an elastic band, likely given its size and portability.
“This weapon is also dangerous to the people who use it. We call upon any member of the public with any information on where it can be found to report to the nearest police station,” Mwivanda stated.
In Kisumu, where the opposition’s Azimio coalition has a sizeable following and where rallies are typically charged, Oduor was one of the cops that offered reinforcement.
Raila Odinga, the leader of the Azimio party, is leading protests by opposition lawmakers to put pressure on the government to comply with their demands, which include lowering the high cost of living and stopping the nomination of electoral commissioners.
The police officer’s body has been taken to the Aga Khan Hospital mortuary.
It has been reported that two men have been taken into custody and will be presented in court on Monday to face murder charges, according to Mr Mwivanda.
