This archive report was first published on 25 June 2020.
On June 25, 2020, chaos erupted in Lessos, Nandi County, after a police officer allegedly shot dead a physically challenged cobbler for not wearing a face mask.
According to eyewitnesses, the situation took a drastic turn when the police officer fired three gunshots, killing the man instantly.
The residents then laid the body of the dead man on the Kapsabet-Eldoret road, protesting attempts by the police to transfer it to the mortuary.
As tensions escalated, the residents proceeded to the home of one of the senior police officers and burned it down.
Two more Kenyans have been killed and nine others left severely injured in the ensuing violence.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has initiated investigations into the incident, with a statement from IPOA Chairperson Anne Makori reading: “…IPOA dispatched its Rapid Response Investigation team, which is already at the scene and has initiated investigations into the matter with a view of establishing how the shooting happened and if the force used was necessary.”
