Families demand speedy justice over Kolongolo police shooting

The five victims of Sunday's clash between police and civilians in Kolongolo, Kwanza sub-county, were felled by bullets, autopsy says.

It is, however, yet to be identified whether the killer bullets belonged to police or not.

"One of the victims had a bullet lodged in the rectum. As for the other four victims, the bullets penetrated their bodies before exiting," Dr Dickson Mchana of Kitale Referral Hospital told reporters after the exercise. 

The postmortem conducted by pathologist Mchana, assisted by Dr Alex Barasa, was witnessed by officials from Independent Police Oversight Authority (Ipoa) and Independent Medical Legal Unit (Imlu).

Family members of the victims were also allowed in the autopsy room.

Dr Mchana said a bullet removed from one of the victims had been handed to Ipoa for ballistic investigations.

"We will hand the report to Ipoa and the families to aid them pursue justice,’’ he added.

Family of one of the victims, Joseph Wandera, found hard time to agree with the report which shows their kin died of excessive bleeding.

It showed that he had gunshot wound in the right arm, which also teared through his stomach.

“We have witnessed the whole exercise and we are satisfied,” said Peter Wechuli, Wandera's son, as he fought back tears outside the mortuary.

There was, however, a ray of hope with the presence of Ipoa detectives.

"Despite the loss, we are happy that Ipoa is here witnessing and taking an active part in the investigations. We are optimistic that justice will prevail," said Wafula Wanyonyi, a relative of one of the victims.

Meanwhile, police are yet to arrest other officers implicated in the shootings with reports indicating they had been transferred.

Only one officer, arrested and disarmed on the fateful day of the shootings, is in custody.

Endebess OCPD Kiprop Ruto declined to comment on the authenticity of the transfer reports, saying the matter was beyond his scope.

“Independent bodies are on the investigations, let us wait,” the OCPD said.

Ruto nonetheless said the man who triggered the confrontations was still at large and was being sought.

Inspector General of Police Joseph Boinnet absolved his officers from blame, saying his officer shot "in self defence".

He also said the number of those killed was two.