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By Antony Gitonga
Two people died and scores of others were injured during a violent protest in Mai Mahiu trading center in Naivasha.
Business and transport in the town was completely paralyzed as the locals engaged police in a two hour running battle on Thursday evening.
One of the deceased died after he was hit by a stray bullet on the head while the other died after a lorry run over him as he looted cement.
For the two hours bullets rang the air, screams rent the air, glasses were shattered and tear gas canisters lobbied as the town became a ground battle.
Trouble started after a suspect who has been attacking locals with a panga leaving them for the dead was arrested in one of the bars.
According to John Maina, the suspect was arrested in a bar and police rescued him from the crowd that wanted to lynch him.
Angered by this, the residents started pelting the police with stones before turning their wrath to passing motorists.
They went ahead to block the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu road using burning tyres and defied police orders to move away.
“It was during the process that police started shooting in the air and one man was hit on head and died while undergoing treatment,” said Maina.
He added that at least three people were left nursing bullet wounds while many others were injured as they tried to escape.
Naivasha OCPD Charles Kortok could however confirm one death noting that as the clashes were going on a group of youths decided to loot from a lorry carrying cement.
“The driver tried to reverse the lorry but one of the looters fell out and was crushed to death,” he said.
This angered his colleagues who set ablaze the lorry but quick efforts by police and some motorists saw the fire put off.
Kortok condemned the violence that left a trail of destruction adding that the suspect would be arraigned in court facing various charges.
The incident caused a major traffic snarl-up along the Naivasha-Mai Mahiu and Narok-Mahiu road as more anti-riot police officers were sent to the area.
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