The officers were reportedly enforcing a 7 pm-5 am curfew but the locals allegedly seized the canisters that were being thrown at them by police officers which did not go off and used them to attack them instead.
Kakamega Central OCPD David Kabena has warned that if those in possession of the teargas canisters fail to surrender them voluntarily, they (police) will launch a major crackdown, Tuko.co.ke reports.
According to the Kakamega township assistant chief Isaac Ayumba, the areas where the canisters were thrown but did not explode included Maraba and Sichirayi. He appealed to the locals to report to their homes early enough before the curfew time to avoid unnecessary confrontations with the police, the Kenya-based news website further reported.
Police in Kakamega county of the Eastern African country is said to have been facing resistance from locals some of whom have accused the officers of inhumane treatment.
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Reports say the scuffle between the officers and the locals led to the death of a 35-year-old mentally ill man who was allegedly beaten by police officers who were enforcing the curfew on Wednesday, April 1.
Two others, Zachariah Maende, 33, and Grace Muhatia, 24, were also allegedly attacked by the police on Thursday evening and Friday morning respectively and were taken to the St Mary’s Mission Hospital in Mumias for treatment.