Two people who were among protesters, who stormed a police post in Siaya county, were reportedly shot dead by the police after defying orders to stop.
According to reports, the two were part of a group from the Mwibona area in the neighbouring Vihiga county, who were demonstrating against the presence of a gold mining firm, that has been licenced to extract gold in the area and the neighbouring Ramula in Gem noYala sub-county in Siaya.
Reports indicate that the demonstrators had earlier brought business along the Ramula – Luanda Road to a standstill after they blocked it with boulders and other objects.
However, as they moved towards Ramula Market, the demonstrators briefly stopped opposite the police post as the policemen looked on from a distance.
Two shot dead during demonstrations in Siaya County
Despite the police reportedly ignoring them, the demonstrators dashed into the police post compound and started hurling stones, breaking window panes.
In the melee, a tractor that had been packed at the compound was torched.
A plea by the police for the demonstrators to leave went unheeded, with the mob pelting the security officers with stones and other crude missiles.
This prompted the policemen to quickly arm themselves and shot in the air to disperse them, but all was in vain.
This led to two youths being shot dead, forcing the rest to disperse in different directions.
