Millie Odhiambo Claims Mask Vendor Shot by Police Is from Homa Bay: "We're Tired with Mourning"

• Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo told Parliament she was shocked to learn that the young man shot by police during protests in Nairobi is from Homa Bay county
• The man was vending face masks during the anti-police demonstrations before being accosted by two officers who shot him in the head
• Millie linked the killing to other past incidents involving residents of Homa Bay, saying the continued loss of life was both tragic and unacceptable

TUKO.co.ke journalist Harry Ivan Mboto has over three years of experience reporting on politics and current affairs in Kenya

It began like any other protest in the streets of Nairobi, but ended in tragedy that struck the heart of Homa Bay county.

Suba North MP Millie Odhiambo revealed that the young man shot by police during a protest against Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat was from her constituency.

The protest took place in Nairobi, where the victim had reportedly been vending face masks before being caught in the chaos.

Speaking during the National Assembly sitting on Tuesday, June 17, Millie said she was stunned to discover that the victim hailed from Suba, although his exact identity and whether he was from Suba North or South remained unclear.

“Madam Speaker, it would be careless on my part if I don’t say that I have just learnt that the young man I am talking about, I’m being told he is from Homa Bay, and from Suba,” Millie said, visibly emotional.

Millie Odhiambo speaks on vendor shot by police

She condemned the police officer’s actions as reckless and irresponsible, arguing that such acts of brutality were undoing the progress made by the government and pushing the country backward.

“I have watched that clip. It is totally reckless and irresponsible what that police officer has done, and they are doing a disservice to this government. When you make 10 steps forward, they take you 50 steps backwards, yet we need to move forward as a country,” she said.

The MP, clearly disturbed by the incident, questioned what message she would now deliver to her constituents in Suba, lamenting that the county was exhausted from mourning young lives lost in similar tragedies.

“It is unfortunate. Homa Bay, we are tired of mourning,” she added.

Millie also drew parallels between the shooting and previous high-profile deaths involving individuals from Homa Bay.

These include Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were, who was killed by unknown assailants in Nairobi, and blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody.

“Let us die of natural causes, not by being killed. Ong’ondo Were, Ojwang… if we are all being killed, who will remain in Homa Bay?” she asked Parliament.

Was the police who shot mask vendor arrested?

In a related story by TUKO.co.ke, the police officer who was caught on camera shooting the unarmed civilian was arrested following public outrage.

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja directed the immediate arrest of the officer, leading to his apprehension and initiation of legal proceedings.

The National Police Service confirmed it had launched investigations into the incident.

The officer, whose identity was withheld at the time, was being processed for arraignment, as the service reassured the public of its commitment to accountability and justice.

Proofreading by Asher Omondi, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke