KPSEA candidate allegedly shot and injuried by police

A grade six pupil has been hospitalized after he was allegedly shot by the police at the controversial Tawai farm in Kiminini, Trans Nzoia County.

Fidelis Mulongo 14, a pupil at Kiungani Primary School was wounded on the right hand and has been admitted at Kitale County Hospital for medication.

The minor had just returned home after sitting his initial Kenya Primary School Education Assessment (KPSEA) tests on Monday before being requested by his grandmother to fetch pasture for her cow.

The innocent boy proceeded in the afternoon and was slashing grass at the neighbouring Eldoret Express farm for feeds when he was allegedly attacked by the police.

The boy's grandmother Janet Barasa told The Standard that her grandson had gone to look for grass for the family's cow when he was shot.

"I was busy with domestic chores when villagers arrived screaming that my grandson had been shot. The boy was profusely bleeding and we rushed him to hospital," Mrs Barasa said.

Mulongo has a fracture on the hand and is expected to undergo surgery tomorrow. Mrs Barasa described the shooting incident as 'unwarranted and unjustified'.

"My grandson is not a thief as alleged by the police. If indeed he stole maize, he should have been arrested," lamented the grandmother.

During the ongoing examination second day (Tuesday) the boy did his examination from the hospital bed.

Kiminini OCPD Mr John Onditi admitted that the pupil was hit by a rubber bullet.

Surprisingly, the OCPD said 'the shooting was justified since the boy was among people who had gone to steal maize cobs' from Eldoret Express farm owned by businessman Muigai Thungu.

"It is true our officers fired rubber bullets and the operation against the intruders was justifiable," Onditi told The Standard.

He said police had been deployed to guard the businessman's farm after alleged rampant theft of crops.

The shooting comes in the wake of a petition by members of Tawai farm that the government should determine the boundary between them and that of Eldoret Express.

Tawai Limited chairman George Malanga said they had written to the Director of Survey of Kenya to help identify the boundary of the expansive farm disputed since 2000.

Malanga said there is confusion over the boundary between Tawai ltd and Eldoret Express farm after the conclusion of court suit pitting the two warring groups.

The two decade old dispute has led to loss of eight people and destruction of property.

One person is still missing after watchmen at the controversial farm allegedly picked him from his house.