Two Youth Protesting Against Joblessness Shot Dead
On Tuesday, February 20, two young individuals were reportedly fatally shot in Marachi, Busia. Additionally, numerous others sustained injuries following a confrontation between them and the police.
The pair, belonging to a youth organization known as the Marachi Jobless Youths, were demonstrating against Busia Governor Paul Otuoma. They alleged that he was ignoring multiple difficulties affecting their community.
One of their complaints centered around the high level of unemployment, which they claimed had significantly increased.
For three days in a row, the young individuals clashed with the police in an ongoing conflict, prompting County Commissioner Mwachaunga Chaunga to step in. Despite his intervention, they were cautioned against causing disturbances to the peace and interfering with business activities in the region.
In justification, the young individuals argued that the governor had failed in his responsibilities and strayed from the agreed-upon terms outlined in a Memorandum of Understanding between them.
The inhabitants also asserted that the governor omitted them from crucial governmental gatherings and the distribution of trading stalls in Busia town.
“They demolished our kiosks and promised to build modern shops for us. Instead, he is allocating and selling the spaces to the rich people in this area,” one resident stated.
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Another person expressed sorrow as her spouse got in touch with her, urging her to join him at Egesa Hospital. Upon arrival, he was found severely bleeding from gunshot injuries. Reportedly, the police swiftly took him away before he could receive medical attention, and he has not been sighted since then.
“Two landcruisers showed up at the hospital and took him away. I haven’t seen him since then,” she claimed while speaking with the media.
Busia County Commissioner Mwachaunga Chaunga pledged to address wrongdoers and guaranteed residents that he would collaborate with the police to increase security presence in the region.
“We want peace. We’d talk if there is a problem, not fight. We can’t have the public fighting the government anyhow,” Chaunga stated.
In connected events, bandits claimed the lives of five individuals on Tuesday in the counties of Elgeyo Marakwet, Baringo, and Samburu.
In one instance, robbers staged an ambush, resulting in the death of a 59-year-old man in Baringo North and two others in Marakwet East. Subsequently, they escaped with the victims’ livestock.
Two Youth Protesting Against Joblessness Shot Dead