This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
On Sunday, August 25, 2019, a man and his wife were taken into custody at Kisumu Central Police Station after a violent confrontation with a chief and village elder who were conducting a census in the Obunga slums.
The incident occurred when the couple, identified as Richard Ochieng and his wife, refused to allow census officers to enumerate them on Saturday night. The following day, Acting Kanyakwar Chief Maurice Ojwang accompanied the census team, along with police officers, to the couple's residence to complete the enumeration process.
According to Chief Ojwang, the woman began wailing and causing a commotion when the census team arrived, and her husband soon joined in, shouting at the officials. When police attempted to handcuff the husband, he bit the fingers of the village elder.
The couple's behavior was not an isolated incident, as Chief Ojwang noted that they had been difficult during previous community events, including polio vaccination exercises, and had insisted that their children not be treated.
The couple is currently being held at Kisumu Central Police Station.
