By MN Reporter

Kegonga town residents on Tuesday invaded area police station after police officers shot dead a teacher at Vannah Pub in the town.

Armed with stones and twigs, residents blocked all roads in the town before marooning police officers at the station by pelting them with stones.

It forced police to fire live bullets and lob teargas in the area to safeguard the station and repulse angry police officers in better part of Tuesday long before Migori county commissioner David Gitonga moved in to calm them.

Kuria East MP Marwa Kitayama said they will involve Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) and want officers who have overstayed at the station to be transferred.

“We have police officers who have overstayed in Kegonga, several who haven taken to harassing locals. I have already called waziri and senior security officers and we will push change,” Kitayama said.

Residents said a group of police officer were engaged in a bar room brawl with residents on Christmas night and in retaliation shot dead Samuel Muturi, 33, a local teacher while he was heading home.

“It was around midnight and I went to pick mwalimu and his brother at a Club called Vannah and when I was riding home several police officers accosted us,” Samuel Simange, a rider said.

He said as they tried to ride away they hit a pole and the managed to run with the deceased’s brother before he was shot dead.

“I ran and a female police officers chased me, I was lucky to scale a window of unfinished house which saved my life, the teacher was not lucky,” he said.

Kegonga town residents led by Nyabasi East MCA Nyamohanga Daniel Maroa said they have complained of runaway insecurity in the area.

“Instead of tackling insecurity, we have officers who have been harassing us with bribes and releasing suspects. We want all officers who took part in this gruesome murder to be charged,” he said.

Kuria East police boss Patrick Njoroge refuted claims that the death was caused by extra-judicial killings.

“At about past midnight we received a call that a group of people were robbing residents in Kegonga town, we acted swiftly and arrived at the scene,” Njoroge said.

He said officers found about 10-15 men in the area and a scuffle ensued where two shots were fired in the air “and unfortunately second shot caught the victim on the chest.”