By Nancy Juma
Business came to a standstill in the lakeside city of Kisumu and the county in general, as peoplegathered to pay their respects to the victims of the recent police brutality across the country ostensibly to respond to peaceful demos against the rising cost of living in Kenya.
As the residents lit candles and placed flowers across every street within the city and in everymarket center within the county in remembrance of the departed and in solidarity with those nursing various degrees of injuries, Kisumu leadership under Governor Prof. Anyang’ Nyong’o
converged at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital where a majority of the victims are admitted for this very somber exercise.
Tears flowed freely as residents recounted horrific scenes as the notorious police unit combed the estates pulling women, children and the old from their houses beating them senseless and shooting others at close range with live bullets.
Nyalenda, Obunga, Manyatta, Bandani, Nyamasaria and Kondele became death traps for helpless innocent citizens. Their crime, belonging to a targeted ethnic community.
To date, the county has registered 107 victims across the county with various degrees of injuries, 70 of them from gunshot wounds.
As at 22nd July, nine (9) bodies lay at the JOOTRH morgue from police bullets, two (2) people fighting for their lives at the ICU and 47 admitted at the referral hospital with various degrees of gunshot injuries.
Speaking during the vigil event held at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital (JOOTRH), Kisumu Speaker Elisha Oraro who read the Governor’s statement at the event condemned the excessive force used by the officers during the protests.
“The police deployed to quell peaceful protests over the cost of living unleashed terror on the residents leaving some either killed or maimed in the worst of police brutality ever witnessed,” he said.
According to the Governor, the police raided homes flushed people including the sick, the old and even children as they turned homes into battle scenes.
Some of the patients had between eight to nine bullets lodged in them highlighting the
excessive force used by the police to quell the protests.
As a result, Governor Nyong’o has directed that all the medical and mortuary bills for the victims arising from this despicable act incurred at the county facilities be waived.
Standing in solidarity with the victims, the county leadership has set aside Friday 28th July 2023 as a special prayer day for the victims. The prayers will be held at the hospital grounds bringing together cross sections of the county leadership, the victims and their families and the general county populace.
Luo lives Matter!
GPU
Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, Kisumu
26th July 2023
