A 34-year-old man is recovering at Bondo Sub-County Hospital after being shot in the leg when a public sensitization forum on a proposed KSh500 billion nuclear power plant collapsed into violence at Ka’John Trading Centre in Central Sakwa, Siaya County.
The injured man, identified as David Otieno Mboya, was initially treated at Uyawi Dispensary before being transferred to the referral facility following the Friday, July 24 clash.
The violence erupted during a public engagement exercise organized by the Nuclear Power and Energy Agency (NuPEA) and the Kenya Electricity Generating Company (KenGen), in partnership with Bondo Member of Parliament Gideon Ochanda.
The forum aimed to brief local residents on the multi-billion-shilling nuclear project.
According to witnesses, the atmosphere soured rapidly when attendees began heckling the panel of officials and local leadership.
”Some members of the public started heckling the officials while they were speaking. Before we knew it, stones started flying from all directions,” said a witness who requested anonymity due to safety concerns. “The officials had to run for their safety as the police moved in to restore order.”
The confrontation escalated into a full-scale riot, with protesters hurling missiles at the fleeing official convoy. A police vehicle attached to the Bondo Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) suffered damage, with its rear windscreen shattered during the melee. Police officers were forced to clear a path and escort the officials out of the area under heavy security.
The disrupted town hall was part of a broader four-day public engagement drive. NuPEA and KenGen officials, alongside MP Ochanda, had held consultations with regional opinion leaders on Tuesday and Wednesday before moving to open public forums on Thursday and Friday.
Tensions have been steadily building in Bondo Sub-County over the proposed nuclear installation, with residents voicing deep-seated concerns regarding safety, land acquisition, and environmental impacts.
Police have commenced investigations into the shooting incident and the destruction of government property.
