Kitengela Brought to Standstill After Fatal Police Shooting

Commercial activity in Kitengela has come to a standstill following days of unrest after the fatal shooting of a local resident during a political rally. 

Shops remain closed, and traders report severe economic hardship as protests continue to disrupt the town’s business district. The unrest began after 28-year-old Vincent Ayomo was killed by a stray bullet while returning home from work on Sunday. 

The shooting occurred during a rally organised by a faction of the Orange Democratic Movement (ODM), led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino, under the Linda Mwananchi banner. Police attempted to disperse the crowd, which they deemed an unauthorised gathering, using tear gas and live ammunition. 

Ayomo was struck in the head and died from his injuries. Since then, protests have intensified, with young people taking to the streets, blocking roads with burning tyres and causing disruption. 

The police have repeatedly deployed tear gas in attempts to quell the protests, but tensions remain high. Business owners have reported a sharp decline in trade, with some unable to open their shops for nearly 10 days. One shopkeeper described the situation as dire, saying, “We are really in a bad situation because for nearly 10 days now, we have not been able to open our businesses, yet our children need to eat.”

The incident has drawn national attention, with a government autopsy confirming Ayomo’s cause of death as a gunshot wound to the left eye, which damaged his spinal cord and brain. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

Tensions surrounding the ODM faction have spread beyond Kitengela. On Friday, a truck from the Linda Mwananchi convoy was attacked and stoned while en route to a rally in Kakamega. Senator Sifuna condemned the attack, insisting that the event would go ahead despite the disruption.