By Magdalene Mukami and Andrew Wasike
NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) – Deaths and injuries from gunshot wounds Thursday rocked Kenya’s disputed rerun of the presidential election in the East African country as police have clashed with opposition supporters.
In the western Kisumu county -- an opposition stronghold -- one man was shot dead and at least 18 others were rushed to various nearby hospitals suffering from gunshot wounds, according to a hospital source.
“The person who was brought in and died was called George. He was bleeding heavily and sadly he died. The wards are full with others who have also been shot,” Henry Omosa, a doctor at the Jaramogi Oginga Odinga hospital told Anadolu Agency, withholding the person's surname.
In Nairobi, an Anadolu Agency reporter witnessed the killing of a protester by police, who was later identified as Paul Omina. The killing of Omina has brought renewed tension in the Mathare slums where more than 500 people were killed during the 2007-08 post-election violence.
Millicent Omina, a relative of the protester who was killed, told Anadolu Agency: "They killed him, they killed him while the others were running away. The body laid there for almost an hour bleeding out before he was taken away. They are killing us.”
In a statement, police spokesman George Kinoti denied the killing in Mathare but did say one person was killed in Kisumu.
“We have had a case of shooting in Homa Bay County [area of Kisumu], a few police officers on duty were constrained to use live fire to protect themselves. Sadly one person has been reported shot and dead and another sustained serious injuries.”
The Chiromo mortuary later confirmed the death of Paul Omina in a statement.
In the Kibera neighborhood of the capital, the sound of gunshots is constant, says an Anadolu Agency reporter in the area.
Kenyans on Thursday headed out to the polls to vote again after the East African country’s top court annulled the Aug. 8 presidential election. However, the leader of opposition in Kenya, President Uhuru Kenyatta’s main challenger, Raila Odinga has withdrawn from the race, calling for a boycott on Thursday.
By 6 a.m. [0300GMT], numerous Kenyans were already waiting in line to vote.
However, voter turnout across the country was very low, according to Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission officials who spoke to Anadolu Agency. Local media have also issued similar reports in the rest of the country.
There are 19 million registered voters in Kenya.