Kitengela rally death: Family cries for justice after young father shot

Deep sadness and anger gripped the family of 28-year-old Vincent Ayomo Otieno who was shot dead by police while walking home from work in Kitengela on Sunday during the chaos that rocked Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna’s Linda Mwananchi rally.

Ayomo, a husband and father of a one-and-a-half-year-old child, was fatally shot in the face in what his family and rights activists are calling a senseless act of police brutality.

Speaking at the Nairobi Funeral Home where his body was taken, Ayomo’s wife Khadija Riamy, recounted the moment she learned of the shooting.

“I was at home when I received a phone call that my husband had been shot. He was just leaving work and he never deserved this. We searched for him, but we couldn’t find him in any mortuary in Kitengela. We were instructed to check at city mortuary where we have confirmed his body is here. He has a bullet wound in his face. I will never forget that moment,” she said.

She said her only demand is for justice to be served for her husband, saying he did not deserve to die in such a manner. A mechanic, Oyamo was allegedly shot on his way from work.

“He was a good husband and father. I will fight for justice and for the police involved to take accountability for their action,” Khadija said.

The tragedy unfolded amid chaos and confusion, when police disrupted an ODM rally led by embattled secretary general Sifuna. The leaders said the police used teargas and live bullets on their supporters.

Troubling pattern

Witnesses described rushing to Ayomo’s side and finding him lying on the ground lifeless after being shot.

“I received a call from an unknown number at around 6pm telling me that my colleague had been shot dead behind Bata and when I arrived at the scene he had gunshot wounds through his eyes. I had to make calls to his close family members to inform them of the incident,” said one of his workmates. 

Frederic Ojiro, head of Rapid Response at Vocal Africa, condemned the killing as part of a troubling pattern in Kenya. “Vincent had just left work. He was not involved in any rally. Even if he had attended, what crime did he commit to be shot in the eyes? A week does not pass without police killing innocent young Kenyans. Families are left grieving while those responsible continue with their lives as if nothing happened,” Ojiro said.

Formal report

Ojiro demanded accountability from the highest levels of government asking the Inspector General of Police and the Cabinet Secretary for Interior to resign.

“It is only honourable that the Inspector General of Police and the Interior Minister resign. Enough is enough. Kenyans are not safe when the people meant to protect them are the ones taking their lives,” he said.

Ayomo’s family yesterday identified his body at Nairobi Funeral Home before lodging a formal complaint at Kitengela Police Station. A postmortem on the body is scheduled for today. 

“Our next course of action is to go back to Kitengela Police Station and make a formal report and get an OB for the same,” Ojiro stated.

Civil society groups and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) have been urged to act swiftly to ensure justice is served and the perpetrators brought to book.

“We cannot continue to bury our children while the guns that killed them remain in the hands of the same officers,” Ojiro said.

IPOA said it had launched an independent investigation into the killing. The authority expressed concern over the loss of life and injuries reported during the rally.

IPOA said it had deployed a rapid-response team to Kitengela to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident, assess the extent of police involvement, and evaluate whether the use of force was justified and proportionate under the law.

Ayomo’s death has reopened the wounds of dozens of families across Kenya who have witnessed young lives lost in the hands of police.

This comes barely a week after a girl was shot dead in Huruma estate by the police during demonstrations.

“Vincent was a husband, a father, a friend. He had dreams, hopes, and a life to live. And it’s gone in an instant,” said a family member. His wife later lodged a formal complaint at Kitengela Police Station where she reiterated that her husband did not deserved such death.  

“We want the government to come clear and reveal who killed my husband and why,’’ said Khadija amid sobs. 

Peaceful gathering

Following the fatal shooting, angry mobs used his body to barricade the Nairobi-Namanga Road for more than two hours. They later dumped the body at the Kitengela municipal offices where the police took it to the mortuary. 

Human right activist Longton Jamil challenged relevant authorities to expedite investigations and come up with a clear answer on what actually transpired. 

The incident has caused panic among business people in Kitengela Town who want the culprits brought to book. 

Speaking at the scene of the shooting, the traders accused the police of unnecessarily lobbing teargas into a peaceful gathering before opening fire into fleeing crowds.

“Being on a Sunday, we expected huge sales since many people were not at work, but police blundered by disrupting the rally, and in the process, we incurred huge losses,’’ said Moses Karanja, a businessman.