A 22-year-old South Sudanese man who is registered as a refugee has been killed by the Kenyan police for allegedly violating a curfew imposed by authorities to curb the spread of the coronavirus, family members and friends were quoted as saying on Sunday.

The man was beaten to death after he was found on a street at Kakuma refugee camp and the police reportedly left him dead just there.

One youth leader at Kakuma described the incident as unfortunate and tragic and accused the Kenyan police of impunity saying refugees are not protected in the country.

“It’s tragic, he was severely beaten on Saturday and died this evening – this is the situation we have been facing in the camp, they come and kill you with impunity and no one takes measures against them,” the youth leader who refused to be named said.

“The name of the deceased has been withheld due to the sensitive nature of the issue” he added.

On Saturday, the UMHCR reiterated its solidarity and commitment to standing with refugee communities in these difficult situations brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic.