Kenya mask enforcement protest leads to deaths

Enforcement of virus containment regulations turned deadly in Lessos, a small town in Kenya’s Rift Valley where a witness confirmed that three people were killed during a confrontation between police and residents over the wearing of face masks.

Angered by the death of a cobbler, residents set fire to the house of the local police chief and attacked a police station with stones. In the chaos two other people were shot dead, the eyewitness said.

Peter Korir, protester and Lessos resident: “This is the second time when an individual is gunned down by a police officer. We are very saddened.

“We are law-abiding citizens and we cannot see why police brutality should be meted out on the commoners. We seek for justice, nothing short of justice,” he stressed.

Human rights activists for weeks have protested alleged killings by Kenyan police officers while enforcing virus-related restrictions. They also accuse officers of using the measures to extort bribes.

Kenya has made it compulsory to wear face masks in public and failure to comply brings a $200 fine, a hefty fee for many.

Confirmed cases = 6,070

Active cases = 3,956

Recoveries = 1,971

Number of deaths = 143