Two people have been killed following demonstrations by residents of Ishiara in Mbeere North, Embu County, over concerns about the deteriorating condition of Ishiara Level 4 Hospital. 

The victims were among a group of young protesters who had taken to the streets to express frustration over the poor state of services at the facility. 

The demonstrations disrupted transport for several hours, with major roads in the area becoming impassable. 

However, the situation took a tragic turn later in the day when police moved in to disperse the crowd.

Earlier, angry residents had blocked sections of the busy Embu Highway using stones and other debris, bringing traffic to a standstill. 

Tensions escalated in the afternoon when police officers confronted the protesters. The situation quickly degenerated into a standoff, with protesters resisting attempts to clear them from the road. 

According to reports, officers fired live ammunition during the clash, resulting in the deaths of two individuals.

Elsewhere, this comes weeks after DCP leader Rigathi Gachagua warned President William Ruto that he would call for national protests if the government revised the price of fuel products upwards in the upcoming review.

He argued that increasing the cost of fuel will cause a ripple effect, pushing the prices of basic commodities higher to cater for the increased transportation costs.

Gachagua asked Ruto to scrap the extra 8 per cent value-added tax (VAT) imposed on fuel products to cushion Kenyans from a projected steep increase in prices.

"If you dare to increase the cost of petrol, diesel or kerosene, we will tell Kenyans to go to the streets to ask you to go home.

"If you want to protect Kenyans from the high fuel prices, do away with the 8% VAT that you had imposed on oil products and withdraw the Ksh7 petroleum levy imposed on every litre of fuel," he stated.

Gachagua sensationally claimed that Ruto was pushing for fuel prices to increase because he was part of the oil business.

He claimed that Ruto co-owned a fuel company and had made a profit of about Ksh1.5 trillion since the inception of the government-to-government deal.

"Ruto is in the fuel business in Kenya and has made over Ksh1.5 trillion from it. He partnered with a businessman called Njogu from Meru to form Gulf Energy, which is part of the G-to-G arrangement, and they are the ones selling fuel in the country," he added.

Gachagua further alleged that Ruto had sent Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi to the Gulf to negotiate with businessmen to ensure the pump prices are revised upwards.

"As we speak, he has sent Njogu and Wandayi to the Middle East to negotiate with the Sheikhs so that they can increase the cost of petrol so that his profits can increase," he claimed.