A normal day in Busia Town quickly turned chaotic today after police arrested a well-known youth leader, Mr. Chikuzee, who serves as the Busia County Youth President. What started as a protest by angry young people demanding his release has sadly ended with the death of one person.
The trouble began when Chikuzee was taken into police custody. Within hours, dozens of young people had gathered in the streets of Busia Town, blocking roads and chanting for his immediate release. Witnesses say the mood was angry but not violent at first.
But as the protests grew, police moved in. According to people who were there, officers fired live bullets into the crowd. Five young men were hit. One of them, Fred Odhiambo, who was popularly known as “PAPA,” was shot in the chest. He died on the way to a nearby clinic.
Fred was not just any protester, Friends and locals say he was a youth leader within the ODM party in Burumba Ward. Many described him as a calm but active young man who always stood up for his fellow youths.
After his death, the anger in Busia Town reached a boiling point. Demonstrators picked up Fred’s body and carried it all the way to the police station, where they left it on the busy Busia – Kisumu highway. The act shocked many residents who had never seen such a bold protest before.
By evening, running battles between police and young people were still going on. Some officers threw teargas while young men responded with stones and sticks. Several shops in the town center closed early as parents rushed home with their children.
As of this evening, Chikuzee remains in police custody. No official statement has been released yet by the police.
