Two men were shot dead and another injured following a violent confrontation between Kenya Forest Service (KFS) officers and residents of Mukusulu village in Shinyalu, Kakamega County.
The incident occurred on January 20, triggered by a dispute over the route used by a lorry transporting sand from a forest reserve. Tensions escalated when KFS officers arrested a tractor operating within the reserve, angering locals who argued that both the tractor and sand originated from the same area.
In protest, residents reportedly set one of the officers’ motorbikes on fire. KFS officers responded with teargas and gunfire, leaving two men dead and one person injured, who is receiving treatment at Kakamega County Referral Hospital.
Police stated that officers acted in self-defence after being attacked, while investigations into the incident are ongoing. Local leaders condemned the violence, citing a history of alleged harassment by KFS officers and raising renewed concerns over accountability.