A family in Isebania town, Migori County is in mourning after they lost their son who was allegedly shot dead by the police who were trying to scatter the protesters on Tuesday July 2.
According to the bereaved family, the Form Four student, Patrick Macharia met his death as he went shopping in readiness to return to school after the end of the mid-term break.
“I received a phone call from an unknown caller who asked us if I am the mother to Patrick Macharia. Then he told me about the sad news about the death of my son,” the mother to the deceased said.
The sister to the deceased, who identified herself as Miriam, described her brother as a boy who loved education.
“He was going for shopping with excitement to return to school and start his last lap in the secondary school but he never came back alive,” she said.
Residents in the town accused the police of applying excessive force while controlling the protesters and appealed to the government to restrain them.
A close relative of the deceased who identified herself as Mary Ghati, accused Kenya Kwanza leadership of inhumanity to her citizens instead of protecting them.
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“We voted for you but now you have turned against us and preying on our children, please spare them and kill us as their mothers instead,” she said.
The body was taken to St Akidiva Hospital Mortuary for postmortem.
The hospital report briefed that the body had a big opening on the chest, an indication that he might have been shot with a bullet.
“We cannot comment much before postmortem is done but chances are that the boy died because of excessive loss of blood,” said the hospital medical officer.
Migori County Commissioner Samuel Gitonga who talked to Education News, denied of any police shooting in the town, saying, “We are aware of protests that took place yesterday and were stopped peacefully by the police, if there were any causalities I will tell you but for now get it from me in the way it has come,” he said.
Today at the Isebania border town there is relative calmness but only a few people could be seen walking on the streets and the main highway littered with ash from burnt car tyres.
The police walked with ease as they interacted with residents.
By Enock Okong’o
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