An assistant chief is fighting for his life at a hospital in Siaya after being attacked by locals while trying to shut down a loud funeral vigil ‘Disco Matanga’ in Alego Usonga sub-county.
According to a police report, the chief had gone to investigate complaints about loud music coming from a home in Nyalugunga ‘A’ village where a bereaved family was holding an overnight wake.
When the chief arrived and attempted to turn off the loudspeakers, he was surrounded by a mob of young men wielding machetes and other weapons.
“He heard loud music in his area of jurisdiction and proceeded to investigate. On arrival, he found that there was a night vigil and he tried to switch off the loud music, but a group of young men emerged armed with pangas and other crude weapons and started assaulting him,” read the report.
According to the report the angry youth then proceeded to savagely beat the chief leaving him clinging to life.
Mourners Rescue the Assistant Chief from the Angry Youth
Fortunately, the quick-thinking mourners present at the vigil intervened and were able to rescue the injured administrator.
He was rushed to Siaya County Referral Hospital where it was established that he had sustained severe injuries to his head with reports from doctors indicating that he was in an unstable condition.
Also Read: Police Officer Among Two Killed in Fierce Gunfight at Gold Mine
“The mourners responded swiftly and rescued the victim from his attackers, and he was rushed to Siaya County Referral Hospital.”
“Kenya Police Service and the DCI officers from this command visited the victim at the facility and established that he had sustained deep injuries on the head and was being attended to [but he was] in an unstable condition.”
Police Arrest Main Suspect Involved in the Assault of The Assistant Chief
Following the incident police and detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) immediately launched a manhunt for the perpetrators.
Their efforts led to the arrest of a 28-year-old man believed to be the main suspect behind the brutal attack.
Upon a thorough search, a machete believed to have been used in the assault was also recovered from the suspect.
The arrested man is expected to be arraigned in Siaya Magistrate’s Court on Monday July 22 to face charges related to the attack on the assistant chief.
Similar Incident of Attack of a Police Officer
This incident follows another in Marsabit where a police officer was involved in a deadly altercation with citizens at a gold mine in Dabel which tragically led to the death of a civilian as well as the officer’s death.
Marsabit County Commissioner James Kamau- while confirming the incident which happened on Friday, July 19, 2024, said that the two died following a deadly shootout between the officers and gold miners at the mining site.
Also Read: Police Officer Among 5 Killed in Attack
The Commander said that the other fatality is a middle-aged man, further adding that several others sustained injuries.
A police report indicated that the incident occurred after a group of about 3,000 people breached security and forcibly entered the site, overpowering the police.
Following the forceful breach, an altercation ensued, and people started pelting the officers with stones before they were repulsed.
“At some point, the attackers fired at the police and the officers responded but they were overpowered because the police were being attacked from all corners. In the process, several officers sustained various body injuries,” read the report in part.
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