Protests: Kenyan police shoot bystander at close range

In Kenya, a police officer was arrested on Tuesday for shooting an unarmed bystander at point-blank range during the latest protests over police brutality.

The victim is reportedly in a critical condition in hospital.

The rallies were held to call for the resignation of the deputy police chief, Eliud Langat, who was accused of corruption online by teacher Albert Ojwang at the start of the month.

Days after Ojwang’s posts, he was taken into custody, where he was killed.

Langat has since stepped aside, but protesters want him gone.

Moreover, tensions were already high in the East African country as it marked a year since massive Gen Z-led protests over the state of the economy.

In Nairobi’s business district, the epicentre of last year’s demonstrations, small groups of protesters gathered on Tuesday, initially peacefully, to call for an end to police brutality.

But they were quickly attacked by hundreds of men on motorbikes, known in Kenya as “goons”, armed with makeshift weapons.

As shop owners hastily closed their businesses, police actively protected the armed men and fired tear gas at protesters, who responded by throwing stones and burning at least two of their motorbikes according to Al Jazeera.

There was outrage after videos circulated of a police officer shooting a bystander at point-blank range in the head.

The man, who had been selling face masks, was still alive despite the severe injury.

“We handed him over to Kenyatta National Hospital, and he was taken to the ICU. He was very critical. He was still breathing,” said Vincent Ochieng, a disaster recovery officer for the Kenya Red Cross.

While the police did not directly deny any cooperation with the armed “goons”, it said in a statement it “does not condone such unlawful groupings”.

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