Did they have to die? Kin of five killed during Raila mourning cry for justice

When the country was mourning former Prime Minister Raila Odinga last week, few imagined that the grief would turn personal for them.

As Kenyans gathered in their thousands to pay their last respects to the politician, tragedy struck.

Five people lost their lives in circumstances that have left their families devastated now demanding for answers.

What was meant to be a moment of unity and reflection turned into scenes of chaos and death.

On Thursday, thousands of Kenyans thronged the Moi International Sports Centre, Kasarani, to view Raila’s body. Emotions ran high as mourners poured into the stadium with many carrying twigs, and portraits of the man they had followed for decades.

But amid the chants and wails, three people were shot dead when police allegedly opened fire to control the surging crowds.

On Friday, during the State funeral at Nyayo Stadium, tragedy struck again. Two more lives were lost, reportedly as a result of a stampede, bringing the total number of fatalities to five.

On Tuesday, at Nairobi Funeral Home (city mortuary), grieving families gathered to witness a postmortem led by government pathologist Dr. Bernard Midia.

“We have done four examinations, three males and one female, young adults among them. Two victims had penetrating gunshot wounds to the head, causing severe brain damage. Another had a penetrating gunshot wound through the chest and abdomen. One female victim from Nyayo Stadium died from asphyxia, likely caused by suffocation as a result of what transpired, possibly a stampede,” said Dr. Midia.

He further said the bullet fragments were recovered from two of the victims.

Among the victims was Evans Kiche, a 40-year-old father of three from Homa Bay County.

“It is very sad that we lost a young person who had a promising future. People who went to mourn the death of a hero ended up being mourned themselves. The police used live bullets where they could have used teargas. We want justice from the government, said Okeyo, Kiche's brother.

His cousin, Moses Kaumba, said that the family wants to be compensated.

“Kiche was shot and killed by a government bullet. He went to mourn our leader, and now we are mourning him. The government should compensate his family and support his children. We will lay him to rest on November 10 in Karachuonyo,” said Kaumba.

Another victim, Vincent Otieno, was shot in the chest. According to his family members, the shooting was deliberate.

“Otieno was shot in the left side of the chest, directly aiming at the heart. That was not accidental. Whoever shot him knew they were targeting to kill. We need justice for Otieno,” said his brother-in-law Paul Nyalo.

His wife, Yvonne Akinyi, was overwhelmed by grief.

“I am pleading for justice for my husband. He has left very young children,” said Akinyi.

Meshack Ogutu, who is Otieno’s father, said that the loss of his son is devastating, and he wants justice.

“My son was shot directly in the chest. It is very painful and all we want is justice,” said Ogutu.

The family of Jida Burka, another victim, is also demanding justice. Burka, a father of three, was buried at Kariokor Muslim Cemetery according to Islamic rites yesterday after the post-mortem.

“Burka had gone to bid farewell to Raila and he was shot by a police bullet. He was a parent and a breadwinner,” said his cousin Jirda Juki.

More Gorsa, his uncle, condemned the shooting, calling for accountability and compensation.

“The person who shot him used a bullet bought by taxpayers. Let them face the law for what they did. We want compensation for the family,” said Gorsa.

Former Nairobi Governor Mike Sonko, who was at the morgue to condole with the families, termed the shootings as inhuman and unnecessary.

“Whoever gave the order to shoot must be held accountable. It is wrong to kill people who had only come to mourn,” Sonko said.

According to Hussein Khalid, the Executive Director of Vocal Africa, who observed the autopsies, the victims were killed by targeted gunfire.

“From our assessment, this was the work of an expert marksman. These were not random shots,” said Khalid.

He criticised what he described as a pattern of shoot-to-kill tactics by security agencies.

“Mourners are not supposed to be dead. Our trigger-happy police must find better ways of dealing with public order. This crowd could have been controlled without the use of lethal force,” he said. 

Khalid said bullet fragments recovered from the bodies had been handed over to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) for investigation.

“We are calling for investigations and justice. Those officers involved must face the full wrath of the law,” he said.