CNN journalist Larry Madowo rescued a construction worker who was allegedly shot by the police during Azimio la Umoja demonstrations in Kamukunji area in Nairobi.
Madowo, on Thursday, July 20, recalled meeting the victim bleeding profusely and surrounded by a compassionate crowd who had rushed to administer first aid to him.
From his initial assessment, the victim had suffered wounds in the stomach and waist.
With ambulances nowhere in sight, Madowo paid a local boda boda rider to rush the injured man to a nearby hospital to be assessed and admitted.
However, he did not disclose the amount he offered to rescue the man from passing away.
Reports alleged that the injured construction worker was shot while eating lunch a few minutes before returning to work. Nonetheless, it was yet to be clear whether he was hit by a live, rubber bullet or a teargas canister.
"I do not know whether it was a teargas canister or a bullet. I was hit when I was just walking next to that corner (pointing at the specific place). I passed out after that," he recalled.
The condition of the victim was yet to be established at the time of publication.
During the CNN coverage, Madowo maintained that he witnessed instances of police brutality despite contrary reports by the government.
"We have also seen protestors throw projectiles at the cops, too," he stated.
According to a report by Amnesty International, 30 deaths were recorded in the protests organised in 2023 as of July 2023. The majority of the fatalities were attributed to gunshot wounds.
Police, on Wednesday, July 19, were accused of masquerading as journalists to arrest protesters. In the Kibra and Mathare areas, plainclothes officers were captured strolling the streets with firearms, raising questions on the safety of demonstrators.
"Impersonation of journalists by the police is a grave unprofessional misconduct on the part of the police and endangering the lives of journalists in the line of duty," Media Council of Kenya CEO David Omwoyo lamented.
