Kenyan police confirm death of young boy in Kisumu

A regional police commander in Kenya on Monday confirmed the death of a young boy during demonstrations in the western city of Kisumu.

The young man was shot dead near a protest, but it was not clear if he was involved in it.

Regional police coordinator, Leonard Katana assures that they shall go deeper to find out exactly what happened adding that if any person is involved in the death then the law will take its course.

“So there was a running battle between the police and the demonstrators. Due to that particular battle, it’s unfortunate that we have lost a schoolboy, we cannot give you the details as at now. I want to say that as officers, we are taking accountable of our equipment as we carry on the investigations due to the circumstances as to how this boy was caught by fire to an extent of fatality,” he said.

Protests erupted after President Uhuru Kenyatta was a declared winner over opposition leader Raila Odinga in the August election. The Supreme Court later voided the result.

Odinga has withdrawn from a re-run on October 26, leaving Kenyatta as the only candidate, prompting further protests.

At least 33 people died in Nairobi during a police crackdown on opposition supporters after the August election, including a child and a pregnant woman, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch said on Monday.