Two Kenyans Among People Shot by Police While Protesting at Namanga Border Post

At least four people, including two Kenyans were shot by people believed to be police officers while protesting at the Namanga border post.

Reports indicate that the shooting incident, which occurred on Thursday afternoon, left two Tanzanians dead and the Kenyans nursing critical injuries.

The Kenyans were part of a larger crowd that invaded the border post in an attempt to gain entry into the neighbouring nation to join their Tanzanian counterparts who were protesting against what they termed unfair elections.

According to Kajiado County Commander Alex Shikondi, the two Tanzanians who were shot dead were aged 27 and 28, and they were gunned down by the border police.

He noted that the officers were shooting in frenzy from the Tanzanian side at the protesters who were on the Kenyan side when the two were hit.

Namanga Protests

Meanwhile, the protests along the Namanga border ensued on Thursday morning after a section of Tanzanians reportedly overpowered officers manning the border and crossed over to the Kenyan side.

The two Kenyan victims, who sustained critical gun wounds on their abdomens, were rushed to the Kajiado County Referral Hospital for treatment

While on the Kenyan side, the Tanzanians began protesting against what they described as a lack of transparency and fairness in the ongoing elections. They were joined by a group of Kenyans.

During the incident, the Tanzanian and Kenyan protesters began pelting stones at the Tanzanian officers, prompting a decisive response from the armed law enforcers.

Widely circulated footage of the protests showed a group of youths marching through the highway which connects the two countries moments after lighting a bonfire.

Amidst the protests, the Interior Principal Secretary Raymond Omollo on Thursday, October 30, warned Kenyans planning to cross over to Tanzania against engaging in the protests, terming it a violation of the law.

"I don't want to speak about what is happening in Tanzania. I can speak about Kenya. My point is, as a country, we have laws and regulations and guides on demonstrations. Anyone who wants to participate in any form of protests, let's do what the law requires us to do," Omollo said.