During the recent anti-government protests in Kisumu County, a police officer named Ben Oduor was hit in the chest by a catapult-propelled stone and passed away in the intensive care unit of the Aga Khan Hospital in Nyamira County.
The attack was carried out by individuals who used a homemade catapult, which has now been classified as a lethal weapon, to launch stones at the police.
The police have launched a massive search for the catapult, which was used by up to four rioters to engage the police in running battles during a raid at a looted supermarket. Oduor was among the officers who provided reinforcement in Kisumu, where the opposition’s Azimio coalition has a significant following, and protests are usually charged.
Following Oduor’s death, two men were arrested and will be arraigned on Monday on murder charges. The opposition is holding protests to compel the government to meet their demands, including lowering the high cost of living and stopping the selection of electoral commissioners.
Oduor’s body was taken to the Aga Khan Hospital mortuary
