President Uhuru Kenyatta was once teargassed in a day-long battle with the police in Nairobi.
On June 1, 2006, President Kenyatta, who was the opposition leader at the time, went to the protest to try and calm angry hawkers who were protesting, but to no avail.
Instead, he was caught up in the chaos and teargassed.
A video and photos taken on the said day show Uhuru coughing and shedding tears as he suffers the effects of the gas.
The hawkers were protesting their eviction from the Nairobi Central Business District.
To calm the situation, the city council called in the anti-riot police to effect the evictions which turned violent and proved fatal.
One police officer aged 22 and who had served for only six months was cornered by the demonstrators and killed in the fracas that ensued.
On the other hand, three hawkers were shot dead by the police.
Artist-cum-activist Boniface Mwangi who photographed the occurrences of the day narrated what happened.
[caption caption="Uhuru in protest, courtesy of Boniface Mwangi"]
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The most commonly used tear gas contains the chemical agent 2- chlorobenzaldene malononitrile (CS) and was developed by American chemists in 1928.
CS is solid at room temperature and mixed with liquid or gas dispersal agents when used as a weapon designed to activate pain-sensing nerves.
Tear gas works by irritating the mucous membranes of the eyes, nose, mouth, and lungs.
The effects kick in after around 30 seconds, and include a burning, watery sensation in the eyes, difficulty breathing, chest pain, excessive saliva and skin irritation.
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Those who face heavy exposure can also suffer from vomiting and diarrhoea.
After the person has escaped into fresh air, the effects should subside after around 10 minutes.
[caption caption="Uhuru Kenyatta during his reign as the opposition leader, courtesy of Boniface Mwangi"]
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