A demonstrator flees with a Police Firearm during Wote Demonstrations. Photo Capture. 
By Fredrick Kioko
Tension gripped Wote Town in Makueni County after dramatic scenes unfolded during ongoing demonstrations, with reports emerging that protesters allegedly overpowered police officers and briefly made away with a firearm.
According to eyewitness accounts, the incident occurred near the Makueni County Referral Hospital as anti-riot police engaged demonstrators in running battles. Reports indicate that an officer, who was reportedly attempting to arrest a protester, dropped the weapon while scrambling onto a police vehicle amid the chaos.
A senior local administrator said another demonstrator quickly grabbed the firearm and fled the scene, sparking panic among officers and members of the public.
“A police officer accidentally dropped the firearm while trying to arrest a demonstrator. Another protester picked it up and ran away with it,” the administrator said.
A video that later went viral on social media appeared to show a man running through the streets carrying what witnesses described as a teargas launcher-like firearm as crowds cheered in the background.
However, authorities later indicated that the weapon was successfully recovered.
Makueni Sub-County Police Commander Winnie Siele dismissed the reports as “mere propaganda,” denying claims that protesters had overpowered officers or escaped with a firearm.
Despite the denial, the police commander confirmed that two police officers sustained injuries during the demonstrations and were rushed to hospital for treatment.
The protests in Wote are part of wider demonstrations witnessed in several parts of the country over the rising cost of fuel and the high cost of living. Security remained heightened in the town as police continued to monitor the situation.
