Two injured as police use live bullets to disperse demonstrators in Meru

By KATHURE MUKURU

Two people, one of them a journalist, were shot and injured while a priest’s vehicle was set on fire in a demonstration in Meru.

The injured journalist, Naftaly Kinyua, works for Mwariama FM, a community radio.

Hundreds of demonstrators had taken to the streets in Meru town to protest the demolition of kiosks by the county government. The two were shot in the leg as security officers fired live bullets and lobbed teargas canisters to disperse the unruly crowd.

Operations in the town were paralysed for the better part of the day as the protestors barricaded all the roads heading towards the town, singing chants against Governor Peter Munya.

They accused the government of infringing on their rights by demolishing the kiosks without providing an alternative area for operations.

Jedida Kananu, a kiosk operator, said they were disappointed in the governor for demolishing the kiosks yet he had not provided them with alternative land from where to operate their businesses.

“It is even more astonishing to find that they are demolishing the kiosks at night when we are away, which encouraged looting and loss of our property,” she said bitterly.

Area MP Rahim Dawood condemned the demolitions.

He was supported by Igembe South MP Mithika Linturi, Mpuri Aburi (Tigania East) and Woman Rep Florence Kajuju.

“The governor should have consulted the stakeholders and got their views, which would have been a better way instead of going ahead blindly and demolishing the sheds,” said Mithika.

However, Mr Munya defended the move and accused the three MPs of inciting the public in a bid to settle previous scores with him. He accused them of ferrying people from Mikinduri and Maua to stage the demonstrations.

“The clean up of Meru town will go on but we already identified a place where the kiosks will be relocated in Gakoromone,” he added.

He said Sh80 million had already been set aside for construction of modern kiosks.