A middle-aged man died from a police gunshot during the anti-government protests in the Emali township on the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway on Wednesday, July 12, 2023.
The incident followed early morning protests where hundreds of residents barricaded the Mombasa-Nairobi Highway, paralysing transport on the busy road.
The demonstrators took to the streets to protest against the high cost of living in the country. The protests were called by Azimio la Umoja - One Kenya coalition leader Raila Odinga.
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Following the incident, angry demonstrators set a police van on fire and destroyed other properties in the town including a personal car to protest the killing.
Some of the residents have sustained injuries during their face-off with the anti-riot officers.
Former Makueni county government Kivutha Kibwana condemned the killing of the young man at Emali town during the demonstrations.
"It is wrong for the police to shoot and kill people like they have done in Emali town instead of ensuring demonstrators maintain peace during the demonstrations," Kivutha said.
Kibwana noted that Kenyans have a right to demonstrate as per the constitution when they want to rectify the current government or pass their grievances, insisting that they should not be harmed in the process by the police.
Constitutionally, Kibwana said it was wrong for the police to use live bullets on demonstrators and kill them while they are expressing their democratic rights.
"The constitution gives people rights to demonstrate but peacefully, however, if police start disrupting peaceful demonstrators it leads to riots, loss of lives and property," Kibwana said.
The former county boss called upon the security leadership to ensure the police refrain from using live bullets on people during demonstrations and find alternatives like rubber bullets to prevent loss of lives.
Kibwana has said that any police who uses a live bullet on people exercising their democratic rights should have a case to answer as per the constitution for it is not allowed.
Meanwhile, he has also called upon Kenyans all over the country to ensure they carry out peaceful demonstrations to avoid clashing with the anti-riot officers.
Commenting on the high cost of living in the country, Kibwana said that it is affecting everyone in the country including the police who are using excessive force on demonstrators.
"The high cost of living is affecting everyone and if people choose to demonstrate against it, they should not be killed but be listened to and the right action be taken," Kibwana said.
Kibwana stated that his sentiments come as a Kenyan who was involved in the making of the current constitution but not because he is in Azimio la Umoja One Kenya Coalition or Kenya Kwanza.
"I am speaking like a Kenyan who was involved in making the constitution and I know the constitution says when people have problems with the government they should communicate to it in different ways including peaceful demonstrations," Kibwana said.
