Police officer killed in Homa Bay rally violence identified

In Homa Bay, a police officer died after being struck on the head by a stone during a rally called Linda Mwananchi. Police Constable Jimrichardson Onkundi, who was also a driver, was among two individuals killed in the violence. Onkundi was returning from the rally on Sunday night when the incident occurred. The officer, who was assigned to ensure security at the political gathering, was driving a government-owned Toyota D-Max when it veered off the road and crashed into a house.

Onkundi was rushed to Jeneiro Hospital in Nyangeswo for treatment, but was later transferred to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital in Kisumu, where he was pronounced dead shortly after midnight on Monday. His body is currently preserved at Othoo Funeral Home for a postmortem examination. The officer's supervisor was also injured during the chaos.

The Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital confirmed that a woman, an Ugandan national, died after being run over by a vehicle. In total, 46 people were injured, including seven in critical condition and four with gunshot wounds. The violence also caused significant damage, with six vehicles torched and a public address vehicle belonging to Bungoma Governor George Natembeya set ablaze.

Journalists covering the rally, including K24 journalists Francis Mwangi and Evans Okeyo, were also attacked. The violence extended to religious premises, with armed youths damaging buildings and vehicles at the Seventh-day Adventist Church’s Lake Victoria Field in Lala village. The investigation into the circumstances surrounding the officer's death and the subsequent crash is ongoing.