Kenya Wildlife Service rangers have been accused of assaulting and killing several individuals in Shinyalu, Kakamega County, as the area residents lament about persistent brutality.
In a report aired by KTN News on Tuesday, May 19, a woman blamed the officers for the loss of her unborn child, after they reportedly stormed into her house and manhandled her on the wee hours of Wednesday, April 22.
The rangers allegedly based their assault on claims that they were pursuing illegal charcoal traders.
"We heard someone asking us to open the door. My husband was still struggling to put on his clothes when the door was knocked down. They asked us to surrender illegal charcoal and I informed them that I didn't have any.
"One of the rangers kicked me in the belly and I fell down. I bled profusely and at the hospital, the doctors told me that my baby was no more," an emotional Ingado claimed.
Adelaide Ingado was rushed to Kakamega Referral Hospital at dawn where doctors noted that she had suffered major injuries and conducted a life-saving surgery on her.
In another village nearby, a 26-year-old man, Kelvin Litasalia, passed away on Wednesday morning, April 27 after he was hit by a stray bullet reportedly fired by KWS officers pursuing suspected charcoal traders.
"He has left me with two children, one with five years and a one-year-old," the widow lamented.
Litasalia met his death upon stepping outside his house after he had gunshots being fired in his compound.
"They shot him and left him on the ground. We are the ones who rushed him to the hospital where he was pronounced dead," his father mourned.
The officers also allegedly extort hefty fines from unsuspecting individuals after they raid homes without warrants. The residents also claimed that the officers mark the houses at night, before embarking on morning raids.
Video: KTN
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