Governor Nyong’o condemns killing of Maseno student during Azimio demos

Kisumu Governor Anyang’ Nyong’o has condemned the killing of a Maseno University student during Monday’s anti-government demonstrations in the lakeside city.

The third-year student identified as William Mayange was shot dead by police during the protests called by the Azimio La Umoja One Kenya coalition.

Police said Mayange was among a group of students who had joined the protests which later turned violent after the protesters invaded a supermarket in Maseno town.

Through a statement, Governor Nyong’o termed the incident unfortunate, saying the police officer was not justified to shoot the literature student.

“It is unfortunate that instead of using tear gas or rubber bullets, the police chose to fire live ammunition at the students. The police should exhibit professionalism and restraint while quelling riots instead of using brutality on unarmed protesters,” he said.

Earlier, the county boss condemned what he called acts of hooliganism by a few culprits who sparked chaos during the protest.

In a prior statement, Nyong’o said the protests were peaceful “until a few hooligans whose mission is yet to be established, infiltrated the crowd and started destroying property.”

He said the people in question, posing as opposition supporters, stoned and damaged part of a hotel, a bank, supermarket and a shopping mall in the Kisumu city centre.

“I wish, on behalf of the people of Kisumu, to strongly condemn this cowardly and criminal act. As the Governor of this County I wish to reiterate that we stand for peaceful and orderly picketing with zero attack on individual or public property and investments,” he stated.

Odinga’s protests are meant to compel President William Ruto’s administration to honour various issues it has, among them the high cost of living, alleged discrimination in State appointments, as well as purported lack of transparency in the country’s electoral body, IEBC.

Scenes of protesters clashing with police were witnessed in Kisumu during Monday’s demos, with the latter forced to lob teargas to disperse protesters.

Among the property destroyed were cars parks outside the Ruto-led United Democratic Alliance (UDA) Party offices in Nyalenda. A car was torched in the incident.

Odinga has meanwhile announced that there will be protests similar to what the opposition staged every Monday.

He says Monday’s mass action was just the beginning of what he called a fight for justice, adding that the protests will not stop until the cost of maize flour drops.