A rowdy youth aims an arrow at members of the public who went to protest over the grabbing of Peponi road riparian land by the PCEA church on Saturday morning July 12, 2014.Photo/Enos Teche
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 1870\11\60 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.
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