Three people died on arrival at the Siaya Referral Hospital after they were allegedly shot by police officers who were dispersing an angry mob in Bondo.
Police were forced to lob tear gas canisters and fire several shots in the air after the mob advanced towards the police station baying for the blood of suspected kidnappers.
The kidnappers, two women in their late fifties, were caught by members of the public carrying a day-old baby in a basket which prompted the crowd to question the whereabouts of the mother. The suspects were then taken to Bondo police station by a man who saw that the crowd wanted to lynch them.
The crowd, however, followed them to the station and hurled stones at the police when it became evident they were not going to gain access to the two. What followed was a series of gunshots from the police in a bid to disperse the crowd. The confrontation lasted close to six hours.
In the process, they roughed up Bondo OCPD Paul Kiarie who was forced to take cover. When calm returned, the OCPD said the suspects told him the child belonged to their sister-in-law who died during delivery on Tuesday and they were headed to Nyangoma Children’s Home to give the child up for adoption.
Kiarie also mentioned that cases of kidnapping in the region were on the rise but noted that the public did not have the right to take the matter into their own hands.