Aftermath: Supermarket and newly opened morgue looted in Kisumu

A Thursday, March 30, 2023 trail of destruction at Jamia Supermarket (L) and at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital morgue, both in Kisumu County. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

Protesters in Kisumu County on Thursday, March 30 looted goods from Jamia Supermarket on Otieno Oyoo Street in demos that turned chaotic and destructive.

The owner of Jamia Supermarket says he lost millions of shillings in the looting incident. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

The owner of the supermarket estimated that he had lost millions of Kenyan shillings as a result of the looting.

Goods worth millions of shillings were destroyed in the Jamia Supermarket looting. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

At the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, another group stormed Kwee Farewell Home, vandalised property and looted mortuary equipment.

The group forcibly gained access to the morgue to confront police who had brought the body of a man who had been killed by a mob at Nyamasaria. The morgue was opened on Tuesday 28, March by Governor Anyang' Nyong'o.

Trail of destruction at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Hospital morgue in Kisumu County. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

The protesters broke window panes, brought down the gate and stole hospital equipment.

The Sh37million morgue, which was barely one week old.

The morgue, constructed at a cost of Sh37m, was unveiled on March 28, 2023. [Collins Oduor, Standard]

The trail of destruction was visible from the damaged doors, destroyed furniture to scattered equipment.

Governor Nyong'o change of mind

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On Wednesday March 29, Governor Nyong'o announced said his administration had indefinitely suspended the holding of anti-President William Ruto demos in Kisumu adding that he will join other protesters in Nairobi during the demos scheduled for Mondays and Thursdays by the Azimio la Umoja-One Kenya Coalition.

Shortly after, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja asked him to hold the weekly Azimio demos in the lakeside county, and not transfer the protests to the capital city.

"Kisumu governor's idea of exporting his demonstrations to Nairobi, making our county the capital of demonstrations and associated mayhem is preposterous and totally unacceptable," Sakaja said in response to Nyong'o on Wednesday, March 29.

The Kisumu Governor then issued another statement where he asked residents of Kisumu to turn out in large numbers for peaceful demonstrations.

"We believe in the rights of Kenyans to peacefully assemble, petition and demonstrate against the government. These expressive and speech rights are ironclad as enshrined in our constitution. We in Azimio fought for these basic freedoms.... We therefore urge you to turn out in large numbers and join other Kenyans in this liberation struggle," he said in notice that was shared on his Twitter handle with the caption Vox Populi, Vox Dei!