The police officer attached to security operations during the Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay and who died after he was struck on the head by a stone thrown by a demonstrator has been identified.
Police identified the deceased as Police Constable and driver Jimrichardson Onkundi.
He was among two people killed in the chaos orchestrated by some local leaders using goons.
The officer was returning from Homa Bay on Sunday night when he was hit by a stone on the right side of his head, near the ear.
The impact caused the police vehicle he was driving, a government-owned Toyota D-Max to veer off the road and crash into a house.
Onkundi was initially rushed to Jeneiro Hospital in Nyangeswo for treatment before being referred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu.
He was pronounced dead on arrival at the Kisumu hospital shortly after midnight on Monday.
His body was moved to Othoo Funeral Home, where it is being preserved pending a postmortem examination.
His boss was seriously injured in the chaos.
The officer had been deployed to provide security during the Linda Mwananchi rally in Homa Bay amid violent clashes involving demonstrators and security personnel.
His death adds to the casualties reported following the violence that disrupted the political gathering and left dozens of people injured.
Police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the circumstances under which the officer was struck and the subsequent crash.
Officials at the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital said a woman, identified as an Ugandan national, was taken to the facility after being run over by a vehicle but died while receiving treatment.
This increased to two, the number of this killed and 46 those injured.
Of the 46 injured, seven were reported to be in critical condition, while four sustained gunshot wounds during attacks on members of the Linda Mwananchi team as they made their way into Homa Bay Town from Sindo in Suba South.
Most of the victims suffered deep panga cuts on various parts of their bodies.
The injured were initially taken to the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital for first aid before being transferred to private health facilities in the region for further treatment amid an ongoing nurses’ strike.
The violence also left a trail of destruction, with at least six vehicles torched after armed youths barricaded the Homa Bay-Mbita road from Lala to Junction Kodoyo, apparently in an attempt to prevent the Linda Mwananchi team from accessing Homa Bay Town.
Among the vehicles set ablaze was one belonging to Mediamax Network Limited, which was targeted as journalists covering the rally came under attack.
A public address vehicle belonging to Bungoma Governor George Natembeya was also torched.
K24 journalists Francis Mwangi and Evans Okeyo were among journalists attacked at around 7pm. Several pieces of media equipment were vandalised or stolen, while Mwangi sustained serious injuries and was taken to hospital.
The torched vehicles were later towed to Homa Bay Police Station as investigations continued.
The violence also spilled into religious premises, with armed youths invading the headquarters of the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Lake Victoria Field in Lala village along the Homa Bay-Mbita road.
The attackers damaged buildings and vehicles parked at the compound.
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