A section of residents in the Majengo and Pumwani area, Nairobi, staged a protest on Wednesday morning after the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy in a police operation.
He was a form three student in the area, witnesses said.
Witnesses said the group attacked and damaged police cars as
others blocked major roads in the area, demanding action on those behind the
said shooting.
At least two police cars were burnt in the chaos.
Many were caught unaware as the protests started at 6 am, spreading to the nearby Gikomba market as police struggled to contain the
situation.
Nairobi police commander George Sedah said there were incidents
of criminality in the protests and property had been burnt.
He said the protests stemmed from an incident on Tuesday night
where a shooting happened at Majengo Social Hall area involving undercover
police officers and a group of youths.
Police had stopped a group of youths for a random search on
suspicion of trafficking drugs.
They were targeting a well-known suspect who was among the
group.
In the drama, the suspect resisted and raised an alarm, shouting
for help from a group that was coming from a mosque.
The police said the group attacked and chased the officers, forcing one of them to shoot for protection.
It was then that one person was shot and injured in the head and was
rushed to the hospital, where he succumbed to the injuries.
Police said one of the police officers involved in the
confrontation had serious injuries in the hip, hand and back.
On Wednesday morning, the protesters gathered in the area
and lit a bonfire, demanding action on the officer involved in the shooting.
Police responded with tear gas and live bullets to disperse the
group.
Witnesses said there were at least two cars that had been burnt
in the chaos. Property was destroyed.
Senior police officers rushed to the scene in effort to contain
the protests from escalating further.
Sedah said they had called a meeting in the area to address the
issue and urged for calm even as running battles went on.
Businesses were closed for the better part of the morning as the running battles raged.
