Man allegedly shot dead by police during Kahawa West protests

A tuk-tuk driver has been shot dead by police officers after protests broke in Kahawa West, Kiambu County over kiosk demolitions. [Courtesy]

One person was on Wednesday morning shot dead during protests in Kahawa West, Kiambu County.

It is alleged that the deceased, a middle-aged man operating a tuk-tuk in the area, was fatally shot by police, who were repulsing protesters.

Demonstrations broke out after the Nairobi Metropolitan Services allegedly brought down traders’ stalls in the wee hours of Wednesday, August 25, without giving a prior eviction notice.

Irate residents lit bonfires and barricaded the 32-kilometre Eastern Bypass during the melee.

By 11 am, relative calm had resumed.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched a probe into the circumstances surrounding a man’s death during Kahawa West protests earlier, saying the findings will be made public.

“Further, the authority has also dispatched a monitoring team to observe how the police conduct the management of the demonstrations,” IPOA chairperson Anne Makori said in a statement.

The authority has also called on witnesses of another alleged murder by police officers enforcing the dusk to dawn curfew in Kayole to furnish them with information as investigations are underway.