Kenyan police end siege at home of deputy president

Elite Kenyan security forces yesterday killed a man at the home of Deputy President William Ruto, ending a 20-hour siege that began with an attack in which a policeman was injured, police said.

Ruto and his family were not at the vast property in the northwest of the country during Saturday's attack, which came less than two weeks before the country votes in high-stakes elections.

Tap here to add The Daily Star as a trusted source

Kenya's police chief Joseph Boinnet said yesterday morning that the assailant had just been shot and killed and "the situation is under control".

Further details and the motive for the attack remained unclear.

Boinnet said one assailant armed with a machete attacked and badly injured a police officer who was part of Ruto's security team, seized his gun and then entered the compound.

Police reinforcements arrived and the attacker fled into a building under construction near the entrance gate.

But several security sources told AFP on Saturday that the assault was staged by several people using guns.

"There are armed people who staged the attack and have shot the GSU officer and stolen his gun," one security official said, referring to the elite police General Security Unit deployed to guard Ruto's house.