Eye witnesses said the two, a 13-year-old boy and a middle aged man were separately shot dead when demonstrators engaged police in running battles at Makadara Shopping centre/CFM NEWS
MACHAKOS, Kenya, Oct 26 – Two people died while several others reportedly sustained bullet injuries during anti-election protests in Mavoko, Machakos County
Eyewitnesses said the two, a 13-year-old boy and a middle-aged man were separately shot dead when demonstrators engaged police in running battles at Makadara Shopping center.
They said the boy was shot when his mother sent him to a kiosk in Sofia slum, while the man was killed at Makadara Shopping center.
“The violence erupted at Athi River’s Bunge La Mwananchi when a contingent of anti-riot police officers arrived in two trucks and confiscated tyres that were lying a few meters away,” said a resident.
Police, however, said over 100 youths armed with stones and slings attempted to storm Mavoko Social Hall, Imani ECD Centre and Athi River Primary School polling stations prompting security agents’ intervention.
“We had to repel the armed youths from storming the centres; lives of the IEBC officials and electorate were on the line,” said the police source.
Police hurled tear gas and shot live bullets that reportedly led to the deaths and injuries.
Mildred Ludenyi (34) was shot in the leg while closing a gate in Embakasi Estate and rushed to Kitengela Medical Hospital in Kajiado County.
Another man was also reportedly shot in the stomach and rushed to Shalom Community Hospital in Athi River.
The demonstrators blocked the Athi River-Makadara Road with stones and burnt tyres as police engaged them in running battles.
No IEBC official was injured during the incident but some of the vehicles hired by IEBC to transport election materials had their windscreens broken after the youths reportedly used slings to throw stones into Makadara Social Hall polling station.
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