Locals at Namanjalala in Kapomboi ward, Kwanza constituency, Trans Nzoia County engaged police in running battles for more than four hours following an incident where a policeman shot a middle aged university student, Sebastian Simiyu, during an illicit brew crackdown at the area. The deceased’s mother Jacqueline Simiyu angrily narrated how her son met his death early on Friday morning. She said dogs were barking outside the house and when he went to check what was wrong, police officers shot him dead on the spot.
She has now appealed to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to take up the matter and investigate the case with a
view of bringing the culprits to book, saying the government should leave no stone unturned.
Following the shooting, locals flocked to the road and lit bonfires as they demonstrated. They wanted to set the police station in the area on fire while pelting police with stones who hurled teargas canisters at them. Another group of officers were sent to the scene to contain the situation. The residents blocked officers from ferrying the victim’s body to the mortuary and it took the intervention of local leaders to ensure the body was taken away safely.
Local leaders at the scene led by Kapomboi MCA Ben Wanjala Mlipuko and his Keiyo counterpart Emmanuel Waswa Simiyu condemned the fatal shooting, saying he was a beacon of hope for the local community. They have appealed to IPOA, Interior CS Dr. Fred Matiang’i to lead a probe into the matter and take action immediately. The shooting comes barely a week after an incident at center Kwanza where there was an altercation between police officers and a resident. The local was harassed and beaten by the officers, prompting protest by residents.
