Man shot during Kahawa West protests identified

A tuk-tuk operator who was shot and killed during the Wednesday protests in Kahawa West, Nairobi, has been identified as 21-year-old Alex Macharia Wanjiku.

Macharia, a father of one, is reported to have been shot while police officers were trying to disburse the crowd.

The demonstrations broke out after business premises were brought down by county government officials and officers from the Nairobi Metropolitan Services who claimed the structures had been erected illegally.

Irate residents lit bonfires, barricaded a section of the 32-kilometre Eastern Bypass and engaged police officers in running battles that lasted for hours. Incidents of looting were also reported

Yesterday, Josphat Karugia, an uncle of the man who died, said the family is yet to come to terms with the loss of their son.

Karugia said the family has recorded statements with the Kasarani Directorate of Criminal Investigations over the shooting.

A postmortem exam that will be witnessed by human rights groups and the government is scheduled to take place on Friday at City Mortuary.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has opened investigations into the shooting.

“The authority has also dispatched a monitoring team to observe police conduct during the management of the demonstrations,” said IPOA chairperson Anne Makori.

Karugia said his nephew was shot at around 8am while on his way to the Kahawa West roundabout where he had left his tuk-tuk when protests began.

Describing his nephew as a man with a bright future, Karugia said the family would not let up on their quest to get the truth about Macharia’s death.

“He had a young wife and a child who is barely one year old. Who will take care of this young family?”

Inspector-General of Police Hilary Mutyambai and National Police Service Spokesperson Bruno Isoho are yet to issue official statements over the incident.