A land dispute in Viraj Estate, Katani, Machakos County, turned deadly on Sunday, October 12, leaving one person dead and two others injured.
Reports indicate that the incident began after a landowner, identified as Farah, invited Samuel Maina Muiruri to discuss a business matter.
However, the meeting escalated when Farah, together with an accomplice believed to be the shooter, allegedly began assaulting Muiruri.
Machakos Land Dispute Leaves One Dead, Two Nursing Injuries. Photo: Courtesy.
A witness said the commotion drew the attention of nearby residents, who rushed to rescue Muiruri.
In the ensuing chaos, the gunman reportedly fired several shots into the air to disperse the crowd, fatally hitting Muiruri and injuring two others.
During the chaos, Samuel Maina Muiruri was shot in the chest and rushed to a nearby hospital by a Good Samaritan, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
His death sparked violent protests in Katani, as enraged residents turned on the vehicle used by Farah and the suspected shooter.
The mob vandalized and set the vehicle ablaze before marching to Mavoko SNP Police Station, demanding that Farah be handed over to them.
Police officers intervened, rescuing the landowner and placing him in custody as investigations into the dispute continue. A manhunt has since been launched for the suspected gunman.
Preliminary reports suggest the confrontation stemmed from a vandalized gate on Farah’s property, although locals insist the dispute was over land ownership.
Katani residents maintain that the dispute was over land ownership.
Muiruri, an accountant with a local welfare group involved in land sales, had reportedly sold a parcel to Farah, but another claimant later emerged demanding payment for the same property.
The incident comes just days after TUK lecturer Professor Thomas Onyango Mboya was killed in a similar land dispute in Kakrigu village, Mbita, Homa Bay County.
Mboya was attacked by two young men armed with pangas after a disagreement over boundary encroachment. He died on the spot, while his father sustained injuries.
