Eleven people are still nursing their wounds at the Homa Bay County Teaching and Referral Hospital after sustaining injuries during Thursday demonstrations.
The injured were nine people who sustained bullet wounds while two others were injured in a stampede.
Homa Bay County Executive Committee Member for Health Roselyn Omollo confirmed the casualties saying one of the injured was a woman while the rest were young men.
“In this hospital, we have received eleven patients who have been injured in the demonstrations. They are being attended to,” Omollo said.
She said they had to suspend other surgical exercises in the hospital to attend to those who sustained the gunshot wounds.
“Thursday is surgery day in this hospital. But we have decided to suspend the other surgeries to attend to demonstration victims because their situations are dire,” Omollo said.
She said majority of the people who sustained the gunshot wounds were hit in their upper limbs.
“Most of them have bullet wounds on their upper limbs with some who were not in the protests but were caught up in the melee.
“The woman who was shot said she was going to her shop before she was hit by a bullet,” She added.
On Tuesday, Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga said her government will pay the cost of medication for the people injured in the demonstrations.
Earlier, police and the youth who were demonstrating engaged in a cat and mouse battle in which the protestors threw stones at the police while police retaliated with teargas.
Homa Bay Civil Society Network Secretary General Lyon Achieng and Homa Bay County Bunge la Wenye Nchi Speaker Walter Opiyo called for peaceful demonstrations.
They urged both police and the youth who are demonstrating to avoid confrontations which can lead injuries or loss of lives.
“We do not want cases of injuries and loss of lives to occur. We call for tolerance during the demonstration,” Achieng said.
Opiyo said there is need for tolerance during the demonstrations.
By Davis Langat
