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Chaos in Kenyan suburb after 7 shot
BY BERNARD MOMANYI
Updated : 175days and 20 hours and 43 minutes ago |
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NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 11 - Families of taxi drivers shot dead by police in Kawangware on Wednesday night are demanding a thorough investigation on circumstances that led to the killing of their kin.
Many of the family members and friends of those killed were among thousands of demonstrators who engaged anti-riot police in running battles in the area for the better of Wednesday before they were violently dispersed.
One person was shot and seriously wounded during the chaos.
“We want to know why the police are acting with impunity, why did they have to shoot at innocent taxi drivers who were on duty,” Lucy Nyambura whose uncle was killed said.
“Even his vehicle is there, I can not believe he is dead,” she added.
Another protestor who only identified herself as Njeri said “We have been trying to reach our brother and only realized his phone is, we did not know he is dead until this morning when we came here and we have seen his body in the mortuary.”
A taxi driver who witnessed the incident said he was too lucky to be alive.
He recalled how one of the taxi driver had a confrontation with a boda boda operator who fled and went to inform the police that they were under attack.
“And when the police came, they just started shooting at us, and I was able to hide under one of the vehicles, that is how I survived, but seven of my colleagues were killed,” the taxi driver said.
“We know all of them by names, they are people we have been working here you can even see their vehicles are there,” he said as he showed our crew the vehicles which were parked at a fuel station.
Efforts by area Member of Parliament Beth Mugo to calm the residents were thwarted when a group of youth pelted stones, forcing police to fire live ammunition and lob tear gas at the mob just as the Minister was beginning to address them.
Mrs Mugo’s bodyguards immediately whisked her away and retreated only to resurface after about an hour when she managed to give her address.
“This is police brutality, and we are demanding a thorough investigation, those responsible must be made to account for their actions,” she said.
Police Spokesman Erick Kiraithe later told a news conference the matter was under investigation.
“The Commissioner of Police is personally concerned at what happened, I wish to inform you that inquest files on all the seven people killed have been opened,” Mr Kiraithe said.
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| Comments (27) posted |
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| Bernice (March 15th, 2010, 9:08 AM) |
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| NO ONE SHOULD BE KILLED ARBITRARILY EVEN THOUGH THEY'RE MUNGIKI!!! That is what we're emphasizing to all those defending the cops. Coz if so, then anyone will be killed with the excuse of being Mungiki!!! Saitoti has to explain better or he forgets his vote same applies to commandant in charge of the APs. THIS HAS TO STOP N IF UR STILL DEFENDING THIS IMPUNITY U NEED TO BE AWARE THAT 2012 IS COMING N NO ONE IS IMMUNE. JUST TAKE A GANDER FROM WHAT HAPPENED IN RWANDA! |
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| mbugua (March 13th, 2010, 4:04 PM) |
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| This term MUNGIKI is being used to legitimze murders.
how many people have died and the newspapers just screams" 123456789... suspects shot dead."
we need an independent body that has powers to investigate and prosecute... crime within the force. |
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| Makena (March 13th, 2010, 12:46 PM) |
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| Mr Kiraithe, can you guys look for something better to say? "we are investigating is your second name and an obvious answer, we dont need to ask you this because you always investigate and come out with nothing" spare us your cliche' those are innocent fathers, brothers their families are suffering because of freaky police officers.... it pisses me off. I need a gun and don't make a mistake of arresting me because I will open against you for failing to provide us with security...... by the way you should never waste time collecting weapons from people, instead collect them from the police coz they are the number one killers..... |
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| Wazungu (March 13th, 2010, 12:33 AM) |
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| There is only one thing responsible for these atrocities........... Guns...remove the guns you increase the chance of people being able to fight back. It will always be like this in Africa. Maybe Kenya needs to take a leave from Tanzania's book :-) |
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| Alan (March 12th, 2010, 7:46 PM) |
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| Somethng definitely has to be dne. WHY DO WE PUT UP WIT THS BULL?! saitoti had th audacity to say sthng thas obviously untrue, ati thse guyz wre thieves. NKT. THS MAN SHLD NOT STEP OFFICE ON MONDAY. Killng th very people thyre meant to serve! That was an abuse to th bereaved families! HOW CAN A MAN WIT A HEART SPEAK SUCH NON SENSE WHN TH FAMILIZ R MOURNING. How now!! I could slap th guy-im so pissed.Im convinced that if justice is not seen to be done, sthng even worse wil be dne to sam othr grp n it could be me or u coz in Kenya only th big dogz r covered n thy dnt cre abt any1 else. As citizens, how can we certainly vte 4 non-taxpayers bck into ofce n thn cry later ati thyre not even paying tax. Can our mission be that none of thm goz bck into that parliament in 2012. Coz were dne complaining. its not taking us anywhere! Time has cme we unite wit a solitary mission to get thz pple out coz only fools do th same thng evry time expectng sthng different. YES WE CAN!! |
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| lungose (March 12th, 2010, 5:19 PM) |
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| taxi driving is about the riskiest job in kenya. much more risky in a place like ongwaro. many have died in the hands of car-jackers and robberrs. some of the taxi drivers are criminals and are also responsible for many crimes. let this matter be investigated fully. |
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| martin (March 12th, 2010, 1:10 PM) |
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| this incident is not real
it seems that ther has been an exsting grudgebetween the three parties ,the aps the taximen and and the boda boda men
imean youcannopt work closer to a premises i.e a forces camp and fail to be known
by the who owns the bikes?
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| Queen (March 12th, 2010, 12:33 PM) |
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| Ths aint normal, law enforcers killing tay payers!! r thy crazy or possessed?! THS HAS TO STOP NOW!! |
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| VIENNA (March 12th, 2010, 12:29 PM) |
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| WHO IS RESPONSIBLE 4 THS INSANITY?! WE NEED POLICE REFORMS NOW!!! kwani are ths APs trained to kill? media pliz follow up on ths story. what is th problem n whose not doing their part?! i dont pay taxes so that my fellw kenyans can be murdered like chicken! lets resolve ths by 2012!! nxt time we may be dead by crazy APs! |
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| ted (March 12th, 2010, 12:20 PM) |
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| NO WAY! i am waiting 4 thz investigtn results. THOSE RESPONSIBLE MUST PAY! WE CANNOT GO ON LIKE THS. stone thrwrs shot?! aside frm improving police conditions thoz who killed th taxi men hv TO GO! INCLUDING TH ONE INCHARGE. i am enraged! Kenyans we need to speak out b4 ths bcamz a normal thng. it can be u 2mrw killed by sam idiot. thrs no excuse 4 murder!! |
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| maurice (March 12th, 2010, 12:03 PM) |
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| these are all consequences of recruiting failures into a sensitive department like police. remember the recruitment process of police officer is rammed with corruption and now how do you expect a person who was recruited corruptly to reason than shooting to kill? may God help the bereaved with their families. |
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| Ocampo David Hague (March 12th, 2010, 1:58 AM) |
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| Where on earth a country made up of illiterate thieves and mass murderers is allowed to perpetuate killing and crippling of its citizen? Answer.....and the answer is KENYA
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| Chief Mamlaka (March 11th, 2010, 11:52 PM) |
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| My heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.Having said so,we need to acknowledge the challenging conditions under which the police have to discharge their duties.I can say without fear of contradiction that we as a society expect results without offering any tangible support to law enforcement agencies.Let us not be quick in condemning our officers even before investigations have been carried out.One only needs to be a victim or a witness of serious crime to appreciate why police act the way they sometimes do. |
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| Suma (March 11th, 2010, 11:28 PM) |
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| I feel for our guys in uniform! We call them to takeon Mungiki, then we turn back and accuse them. I guess most of the comments hear are from Mungiki friends. How do you want to belive that Police showed up and estarted shooting! The Mungiki guys must have fought back...or something! Next time police comes and does little or tries to arrest them, we say people were killed as they watched. Why wouldn't the Matatu drivers arrest or pin point the Mungiki elements! |
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| Ruriko (March 11th, 2010, 11:25 PM) |
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| I have never been a blind supporter nor an ardent defender of rogue police officers, undercover agents, spy agencies, the military and other law enforcement agencies. Never been and never will.
However I am sure that most of those people who now are 'crying wolf, wolf, wolf wolf' over the deaths of seven riot victims, allegedly shot by police are the very same people who have always chosen to remain dead silent while so many (hundreds and hundreds of) innocent Kenyans are wantonly killed by well known neighbourhood thugs, hunger, prevently diseases, lack of medical care and necessary medical facilities, drunk drivers, brewers of contaminated back-street liquor (chang'aa etc), malaria and other prevental causes.
Yet when some rioting holigans and innocent civilians are caught in the crossfires, that's when "the wanton destruction of human life" becomes a real issue to 'cry wolf' about.
Kwani, where are these so called concerned epople when other "Kenyan innocent lives" are wasted and lost on a daily basis? I am just sick and tired of their kind.
As matter of fact, I can't wait for the day when the police force around the country will down their tools and withdraw their presence for a day or so, in order for those of us with a holier than thou attitude to come to our senses and realise the unrecognized good services that they render within their immediate jurisdiction.
We just can't keep on condeming the whole police force or the military whenever such incidences have occurred due to the reckless actions or unprofessional conduct of a few rogue elements within the security forces.
There three sides to every story: the victims', the media's, the police version and what really happened. So, let's wait for what really happened to be investigated. Until then, let us curb our cries for wolf!, wolf!, wolf!, wolf! |
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| kamau (March 11th, 2010, 7:20 PM) |
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| it is very wrong for you people to report that those were mungiki i know these people the AP's know them very well they are very close. it's just may be a grudge.there is a video of exactly what happened and it will be on you tube very soon sources say that many people took the video. let's first hear what police are going to say about the killings |
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| mwema (March 11th, 2010, 7:15 PM) |
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| i feel bad,we need a complete change of guard,we hear they the same people to take care of 2012 pnu kazi iendelee,see now,cant you see guyz wat we are in for?i think God should come himself and save kenya,he should not even send his son either,god himself. |
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| ngwono maurice (March 11th, 2010, 7:02 PM) |
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| its so shocking to wake up and welcomed with a bloody neighborhood,our taxi drivers are dead after they had surrendered,please let the human rights come in and investigate this extra judicial killings. |
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| j k (March 11th, 2010, 5:36 PM) |
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| am very sad i know five of those guys i have grown seeing them they are taxi guyz. the ap camp in riruta is full of drunk police. how can they do this. infact if there was no gun recoverd from them what the hell happened. infact this AP know this taxi drivers by names |
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| Minogembo (March 11th, 2010, 5:18 PM) |
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| The police are doing a good job. Kill them all, there cannot be a place where other pple want money they have not worked for. These pple once killed could turn to be anything eg. taxi operators to road side preachers. I urge the police to shoot them all and go to other areas untill they learn to live and work hard like other pple. |
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| umoja 2012 (March 11th, 2010, 5:01 PM) |
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| this is simply anpther action of police heavy-handedness. As sifficult as it is to discern whether or not these 7 were Mungiki or not the police killing swathes of people in the streets will only serve to reinforce the Mungiki and their view of the police as hired goons of the state and not of impartial arbiters of conflict. |
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| Ruriko (March 11th, 2010, 3:01 PM) |
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| The security forces are always balmed for whatever action they take when dealing with criminals and gangs. It's a matter of preserving law and order, and nipping gangland related crime in the bud at the same time. Blame the diehard criminals instead of police 24/7. |
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| masaibu (March 11th, 2010, 2:55 PM) |
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| When will this lack of concern for human life and impunity end, we are now boasting that police reforms are on, the police are in no way different from the criminal, they operate with brute force engaging in wanton killing in the name o maintaining law and order shame on them and i hope human rights groups get to the bottom of this lest we revert back to the hobbesian way of life. |
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| rao (March 11th, 2010, 2:54 PM) |
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| These is the same gang of the law that killed during the PEV of 2007. Even if there was a bombing, you do not retaliate by shooting.. What are they taught at Kiganjo or wherver they come from. The word Mungiki does not mean you shoot to radicate them. It has failed anyway. When thieves steal cars, you DO NOT have to shoot. It is just a car a piece of metal, plastic and leather, all replaceable, life is not replaceable. Something really needs to be done. Maybe only an elite squad should carry real bullets to avoid this wanton killing..And that man Wako the AG will not demand an enquiry after such killings. He'll just give us a smile. God, we need a change of leadership in this country. Even if the Taxi men were mungiki, even if, they must not be shot... what are the courts for??? Am sorry Mr Ndegwa.. is the name criminal or robber or mungiki written on peoples faces when you meet a crowd on the street and begin shooting. If you want to exist in a modern society then you follow rules. If Kenya should go back to the bush days, then we agree and go back then let the fittest survive.. That is the law of the jungle used by Lions and Cheetahs..What a waste of human life |
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| alfred (March 11th, 2010, 2:20 PM) |
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| surely thare should be a way of dealing with criminal gangs not wanton killing. are the police suggesting that taxi oprators are all mungiki. |
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| Sammy Ndegwa (March 11th, 2010, 2:19 PM) |
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| 7 people did you say? We've been hearing this phrase - extra judicial killings for a bit too long for comfort. I say this: I have no mercy for criminals and robbers deserve to be killed before they rob or kill someone, but only if they are really criminals beyond any reasonable doubt. Police should not be allowed to gun people down on mere suspicion - neither should they be allowed to brand anyone they kill MUNGIKI, a name that incidentally seems to be the magic tag that validates extamination! |
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| Mkenya mvumilivu (March 11th, 2010, 1:21 PM) |
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| "They all started running away while attacking the police".............so if they were running away,then immobilizing them would have been more appropriate then killing them. |
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