17 year old student Benedict Kyule has turned out to be the killed suspected poacher following the Friday shootout at the Tsavo National Park which was a result of exchanged fire between the Kenya wild life rangers and two suspected criminals.
A team comprising three rangers from Tsavo West National Park on routine patrol within the park near Mang’elete area, encountered two armed suspected poachers at around 10am.
The suspects immediately shot at the rangers and a shootout ensued, KWS spokesperson Paul Udoto said yesterday.
“During the shoot-out, one suspect was killed while his colleague who is believed to have sustained injuries managed to escape,” he said.
The incident was reported at Mtito-Andei Police Station in Makueni county whose scene of crime officers attended to the case, he said.
The family of the young man, however, came out to deny the claims, condemning KWS for killing their son.
Kioko Kasangili, the father, told reporters that he received a distress call from his son, telling him that he had been shot in the hand and leg.
Kioko then reported the matter to officers at Mtito Andei Police Station who then escalated the concern to their KWS colleagues in the forest.
At midday, Kioko was called upon by forest rangers to identify the body of his son which had bullet wounds in the chest and neck, as they also showed him the items that had been recovered.
Makueni County Speaker Douglas Mbilu and Ivingoni/Nzambani MCA Harrison Mutie condemned the shooting.
Mutie argued that the rangers should have arrested and charged the young man instead of killing him.
Kibwezi OCPD Ben Changulo stated that police were investigating the incident to find out how the student died.
Do you believe the boy was innocent?