- The incident has caused pain and anger, as mourners seek the blood of the police officer who fired the shot
- The local police confirmed the shooting, but claimed that the woman was shot to disperse the mourners who were allegedly misbehaving.
- They assured the public that justice will be done for the mother of two who was killed shortly after leaving her shop to go home
A woman identified as Yvonne Lucy was shot dead outside the Homa Bay Police Station after police officers fired into the air to disperse a crowd of people who had gathered during the wake of the late former Prime Minister. Raila Odinga.
Source: Facebook
According to the Homa Bay Sub-County Police Commander, Jashon Odhiambo, the incident occurred when the mourners, who had been protesting peacefully since Wednesday, tried to enter the compound of the police station on the evening of Thursday, October 16.
“Officers on duty tried to chase the group after some people started throwing stones. In the chaos, a stray bullet hit Yvonne Lucy, a passerby who was on her way home from her business,” Odhiambo said.
He further noted that Lucy was rushed to the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital but died at around 2am on Friday, October 17, due to profuse bleeding from a thigh wound.
“The situation escalated after ‘unruly people’ infiltrated the peaceful crowd. The officer involved has since been detained while the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigation (DCI) lead the investigation,” he added.
Odhiambo said that the officer is being held in an undisclosed location for security reasons.
The police are saddened by the killing and assured the people that justice will be done.
Masline Odero, a resident of Homa Bay, interacted with Lucy in her coffee business and described her as a dedicated and hardworking young woman.
“I have bought ‘coffee’ and ‘pastries’ from him several times when he walks by my work area. He was gentle and had a happy spirit,” Odero lamented his client.
Although Odero did not know much about his personal life, it was known that he had two children who attended the same school that his son attended.
“His eldest child was in the sixth grade this year, and the youngest was in the first grade,” Odero added.
The incident happened while Kenyans across the country continued to hold vigils and protest to remember Raila Odinga.
Did the mourners die in Nyayo and Kasarani stadiums?
Earlier, two people died and others were injured following a stampede that occurred in Nyayo stadium while mourners wanted to see Raila’s body.
First responders from the Red Cross and the Kenya Defense Forces (KDF) quickly responded to the emergency and revived many of the victims, but
On Thursday, October 16, police officers shot and killed three people in the international arena of Kasarani.
The victims were among thousands of mourners who flocked to the stadium to watch Raila’s body after it was returned from India.
A scuffle ensued, and in their efforts to restore order, the officer fired indiscriminately and killed the three.
Additional reporting and exclusive comments by Florence Owiti, TUKO.co.ke reporter in Homa Bay
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Source: TUKO.co.ke
