'3 shot dead' during Kenya's anti-government protests

By Andrew Wasike and Magdalene Mukami

NAIROBI, Kenya

Police allegedly killed three protesters on Friday during anti-government demonstrations that turned violent in the East African country.

The protests came a day after the government banned all demonstrations as the country gears up for a re-run of the presidential elections on Oct. 26.

Thousands of protesters across the country had defied the ban by marching to central business districts of major cities.

“I was there, they shot the three protesters who were hurling stones at police near Bondo police station; do not forget this is the hometown of opposition leader Raila Odinga,” Anthony Onyango, a businessman from Kisumu County, told Anadolu Agency.

"They laid there in a pool of blood for hours before being taken away, two were shot in the chest and the last one who was in a green shirt had a very bad head injury where he was shot.”

Police fired live bullets and tear gas canisters to prevent the crowds from entering the central areas of Mombasa, Nairobi and Kisumu.

Several protesters were admitted to hospital after getting injured.

In capital Nairobi, baton-wielding police rained blows at protesters who were caught off-guard; traffic was brought to a standstill in major areas across the city with many businesses remaining closed in fear of vandalism and looting.

Nursery children from the Mount Carmel Academy in Kisumu County were also not spared after police lobbed a couple of tear gas canisters in their school and sprayed them with cannon water.

At least 20 children were rushed to Kisumu hospital; Red Cross workers in the vicinity were fast to respond, rushing the children to the hospital; one of their teachers told local media that some of the children fell unconscious while others cried uncontrollably.

The opposition has vowed to continue with its daily protests next week and to push for the dismissal of 12 election commission officials accused of rigging the vote on Aug. 8.

The Supreme Court had nullified President Uhuru Kenyatta’s win, citing mass irregularities and illegalities.