Rongai residents honor 12 year old boy shot 8 times in protests

A white casket and a cross were cried by a group of men as they run through Rongai Thursday July 4, to honor the late Kennedy Onyango, a 12-year-old shot dead in the Anti-tax protests.

This marked a week since he was shot dead.

Women and children joined as well screaming, as others beat drums rushing with the crowd.

Kennedy’s mum spoke to media on Monday this week, saying her young son was not a criminal, nor was he part of the protestors.

“Mtoto wangu hakuwa na hatia, mtoto wangu hakuwa kwa maandamano , mtoto wangu hajaiba, risasi ni ya kuua mwizi, si mtoto wa 12 years,” Kennedy’s mum said. 

On the day he was shot, Kennedy has left home to pick up a book from a neighbor. 

“Alitoka shule lakini alikuwa na homework, akatoka kuendea kitabu kwa rafiki yake lakini hakurudi,” His mum said. 

 He was not seen alive again.

His classmate would wait for hours to hand over the book, only to learn later that he had been shot and killed. 

The late 12-year-old succumbed to a fatal bullet wound. Dr. Peter Ndegwa, the government pathologist who conducted the postmortem at Ongata Rongai Sub-County Hospital Funeral Home, confirmed that the bullet had shattered his arteries and punctured his lungs. 

Elsewhere at the City Mortuary, families gathered to collect the bodies of young men killed in the riots.

Wilson Sitati, 22, a student at Olympic Technical institute died in Nairobi CBD when he had gone to collect a package.

The family worried about their son as his phone remained mteja. and later got a call to identify bodies lying at the mortuary.

The autopsy showed that he died from blunt force trauma to the chest, and a blunt object to the neck.