Nairobi—Three people were injured on Saturday when armed youths guarding construction workers at the controversial Westlands wetland Peponi Road plot clashed with demonstrators.
The demonstrators were led by Westlands MP Tim Wanyonyi, Mazingira institute Executive director Davinder Lamba and Onyango Oloo.
They were protesting against the construction of a perimeter wall within the riparian reserve on LR NO 18701160 owned by PCEA foundation when youths armed with bows and arrows and carrying machetes attacked them.
During the protest, Onyango Oloo was shot with an arrow on the right upper arm. He was rushed to MP Shah hospital and is undergoing treatment.
Another man identified as Henry Mudogo was shot on the forehead by an arrow and Davinder Lamba was hit by an iron bar on the back.
Tim Wanyonyi`s driver had to speed off to escape the irate youths who had been hired by the PCEA church to turn away protestors before police intervened.
Motorists around Westgate and Sarit Centre had use different routes after youths started harassing motorists using the road.
The land in question is a wetland and several organization have raised issues on why construction work is going on yet it had been fiercely defended by the late Wangari Maathai.
In 2009, the then Water Minister Charity Ngilu was blocked from accessing the same plots by armed youths.
The construction work was stopped by the police after the fight erupted.
The Westlands MP said he was saddened by land grabbers who hire the youth to beat up people.
“We will defend riparian lands. We will not relent and people should know that you cannot go on building anywhere you feel like you want to build,” Wanyonyi said.
Photo: Davinder Lamba, the Executive Director of the Mazingira Institute, founder and leading light of the Operation Firimbi campaign against land grabbing and corruption was set upon by the same vicious assailants who clobbered him on the back, shoulder and upper arm. Source: Kenya Democracy Project.
