{
  "id": 13998083,
  "title": "Teargas, gunshots as Malala leads protest in Kakamega",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/12/teargas-gunshots-as-malala-leads-protest-in-kakamega",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-12T15:55:26.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Capital FM Kenya",
    "slug": "capital-fm-kenya",
    "url": "https://capitalfm.africa/teargas-gunshots-as-malala-leads-protest-in-kakamega/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "In a tense standoff at Kakamega Central Police Station on Monday, opposition politician Cleophas Malala, deputy leader of the Democracy for the Citizens Party (DCP), faced tear gas and gunfire as police attempted to disperse a protest. The gathering aimed to voice grievances over alleged political intimidation in the Kakamega county. Amid the chaos, police officers resorted to firing shots into the air, exacerbating the volatile situation and leading to confrontations inside the station, which disrupted the presentation of a petition against Governor Fernandes Barasa.\n\nMalala, supported by lawyer Ken Echesa and other DCP officials, sought investigations into claims that the county administration was employing gangs to intimidate political adversaries. Simultaneously, protests erupted over the arrest of digital creator Anyamah Wa Anyamah, who was held for allegedly spreading cyberbullying and harassment through social media. The disputed content included a video purportedly showing Governor Barasa in an inappropriate context, a claim the county government dismissed as manipulated.\n\nMalala took responsibility for the controversial social media posts, questioning Anyamah's arrest and demanding his release. He asserted that it was he who shared the posts and that his actions raise concerns about freedom of expression. The DCP official accused authorities of targeting political critics and demanded the blogger's release, highlighting the arrest's implications for press freedom.\n\nThe DCP official accused the county administration of tolerating political violence and requested investigations into alleged attacks against government critics. Malala presented photographs of burned houses and injured individuals, alleging that over 300 people had been recruited and trained to carry out such attacks, supported by images of damaged properties and injured people. He also called for an investigation by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations into reported incidents and criticized the conduct of certain police officers for failing to respond to complaints.\n\nJournalists covering the incident were also affected, with reports indicating that police confiscated their equipment, including a mobile phone belonging to a Citizen TV journalist, which was eventually returned after Malala intervened. The confrontation underscores the escalating political tensions in Kakamega, as Malala eyes the governorship in the 2027 General Election. Malala and Barasa have been locked in a contentious exchange, with Malala consistently alleging the presence of gangs intimidating his supporters and other critics of the county government. Barasa, attempting to retain his position, has also taken legal action against the circulation of the disputed social media material, which his administration characterizes as defamatory and digitally altered.",
  "summary": "Malala was teargassed at Kakamega Central Police Station as police fired shots into the air to disperse a group protesting alleged political intimidation and demanding the release of digital creator Anyamah Wa Anyamah.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}