An operation to arrest a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer wanted for allegedly assaulting a deputy police chief turned violent in Nandi County on Friday, when a mob attempting to free him clashed with police, prompting officers to fire live rounds and tear gas, wounding a 52-year-old bystander.

The officer, identified as Emmanuel Kipkirui, had been on the run since Aug. 3, when he allegedly assaulted and broke the teeth of Kilibwoni Deputy OCS Inspector Paul Ongulu. Detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Nandi Central had been pursuing him since.

On Friday evening, police received intelligence that Kipkirui was at a bar in Kilibwoni Market, Emgwen sub-county, that was allegedly operating beyond its licensed hours. A combined team of officers from Kilibwoni and Kapsabet police stations, led by Kilibwoni OCS Chief Inspector Peter Nangiro, moved in to enforce the bar's closure and arrest him.

According to police, Kipkirui and his accomplices switched off the electricity at the premises before attacking the officers. Patrons in the bar reportedly turned on the police as well, throwing stones and bottles at them and plunging the venue into chaos as the crowd tried to prevent the arrest. Cornered, officers fired live ammunition into the air and deployed tear gas to disperse the crowd, wounding a 52-year-old man in the process; his condition has not been detailed. The unrest forced nearby traders to close early.

The mob then marched to Inspector Ongulu's rented home, breaking in and destroying his household property, smashing windows and stealing electronics, before barricading the Kilibwoni-Lessos road with burning debris well into the night.

Kipkirui was ultimately arrested and is being held at Kapsabet Police Station. Nandi County Police Commander Samuel Mukuusi said he is expected to be arraigned in court on Monday as DCI investigators in Nandi Central finalise their inquiries.