This archive report was first published on 21 May 2020.
On Wednesday night, during the Covid-19 curfew imposed by the government, a clinical officer was shot by a policeman in Rift Valley. The officer, Hillary Kirui, 31, was returning home from work at Tenwek hospital when he was hit by a bullet.
According to Kirui's sister, Sharon Cheptoo, the incident occurred when Kirui was alighting from a vehicle past 7pm. Cheptoo stated that her brother was not violating the curfew rule and was an essential service provider.
The bullet hit Kirui on the back of his right leg and exited on the front, leaving a gushing wound. Cheptoo rushed to the scene and found Kirui writhing in pain, and they immediately rushed him to Litein Mission hospital before transferring him to Tenwek Mission hospital.
However, the police officer involved in the shooting claimed that Kirui was hit by a stray bullet while he was attempting to disperse a rowdy group of youth at Cheborgei center who were defying police orders to go home after crossing curfew time.
But the officer's account has been disputed by Kirui's family and the Tenwek Hospital Clinical Officers Union, who have demanded the immediate arrest of the officer involved in the shooting.
"Clinical officers are part of essential services providers who the police should be protecting not attacking while the medics are on their way to work or returning home within curfew hours," said Vincent Kirui, the union's treasurer.
