NAIROBI, Kenya – Nairobi’s Shauri Moyo Police Station was set on fire on Wednesday morning as violent protests erupted following the fatal shooting of a 17-year-old boy, allegedly by police.
The form three student was shot on Tuesday night in Majengo, triggering outrage among locals.
Angry youths stormed the station, torching two police vehicles and lighting bonfires on nearby roads.
Police responded with tear gas in an attempt to disperse the rioters and contain the escalating unrest.
Nairobi police commander George Sedah confirmed the destruction, saying emergency responders were struggling to put out the flames as protesters hurled stones at them.
“They have set ablaze Shauri Moyo Police Station. Firefighters are at the scene to put out the fire though the youths are still pelting stones at them,” Sedah said.
The protests stemmed from a confrontation on Tuesday night, when undercover officers attempted to arrest a suspected drug trafficker near Majengo Social Hall.
Police said the suspect resisted and called for help, drawing a crowd from a nearby mosque.
The group allegedly attacked the officers, forcing one to fire his weapon in self-defense, hitting the teenager in the head. He later died in the hospital.
Authorities reported that one police officer sustained serious injuries to his hip, hand, and back during the scuffle.
