Business operations in Kitengela came to a standstill following protests in the town’s commercial center sparked by the fatal shooting of a local man who was struck by a stray bullet while returning from work at a political rally held last Sunday.
Young demonstrators set ablaze vehicle tires on the main road, blocking transportation routes in and out of Kitengela and compelling law enforcement to step in.
Authorities resorted to deploying tear gas to disperse the protesters, who nevertheless maintained confrontations with officers while calling for justice for the deceased Vincent Ayomo.
Ayomo, affiliated with the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) headed by Edwin Sifuna and Babu Owino, had organized a political event named Linda Mwananchi in Kitengela.
Disorder erupted during last Sunday’s assembly when police discharged firearms and tear gas to disperse the massive crowd that had gathered, citing that the meeting lacked authorization from local authorities.
Local merchants and residents report that for approximately ten days, their establishments have remained closed with limited commercial activity due to the prevailing tensions in Kitengela.
“We find ourselves in a dire predicament because for nearly 10 days now, we have been unable to conduct business, yet our children require food. Our essential needs are further complicated by the current confrontation we are experiencing,” one merchant shared.
In a separate incident, a vehicle associated with the Linda Mwananchi wing of ODM was pelted with stones while en route to Kakamega County for a rally planned for Saturday, February 21.
Videos captured and disseminated by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna showed the vehicle was part of a convoy heading to Kakamega when it was attacked at the Kona Mbaya trading center on Friday morning.
Addressing the situation, Sifuna affirmed that his group will carry forward their planned Kakamega rally without succumbing to intimidation.
Concurrently, a post-mortem examination conducted by government forensic experts and revealed on Thursday indicated that Ayomo, 28, succumbed to a gunshot wound to the left eye that fractured his spinal cord and caused brain damage.
The autopsy report detailed that the projectile entered through the eye, fractured the spinal cord, damaged the brain, and exited through the rear of the skull, leading to his death.
In response, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has initiated a high-level investigation into Ayomo’s death during the rally.
IPOA Vice Chairperson Ann Mwangi confirmed that a specialized investigative team was dispatched following the shooting incident in Kajiado County.