The family of 21-year-old Evans Kiratu who died following the protests on Thursday, June 20, confirmed that they found his body at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) mortuary.
Another person who participated in the anti-Finance Bill 2024 protests has been confirmed dead.
The family of 21-year-old Evans Kiratu who died following the protests on Thursday, June 20, confirmed that they found his body at the Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) mortuary.
A post-mortem examination on the late Kiratu is set to be conducted on Monday. One of the family members who spoke to the press revealed that she came to learn of Kiratu’s death on Friday night through a Good Samaritan who said he picked him up from the road.
“He was hit by a teargas canister in his private parts, so he was not able to walk or do anything, and he brought him to KNH where he was admitted. Before he reached here, yesterday he passed on,” the relative said, further demanding justice for their kin on behalf of the family.
Evans Kiratu being arrested by police officers on June 20, 2024. /HOLYCK.X
Kiratu was among those protesting against the Finance Bill, which proposes a variety of increased taxes to support the 2023/2024 budget.
He was reportedly met by the brute force of the police, who fired teargas canisters to disperse protesters, and one of the canisters hit him. He had suffered internal bleeding.
Kiratu’s death brings the total number of those killed during the anti-Finance Bill protests to two, with both cases as a result of excessive police force.
29-year-old Rex Kanyike Masai died after being shot in the thigh by a police officer during the Thursday, June 20 protests. The incident was also captured on video.
CCTV footage obtained by NTV revealed a chaotic scene along Moi Avenue, where passersby scrambled for safety as law enforcement officers advanced with clubs, pistols, and tear gas.
Rex, a 29-year-old who witnesses stated was merely on his way home from work, found himself caught in the turmoil. The video showed an officer throwing an object, possibly a stone, towards the protesters.
As the crowd fled down Mama Ngina Street, another group ran for their lives, unaware of the impending disaster. In a desperate moment, one individual dropped a phone, hesitated, but then abandoned it upon seeing a police officer brandishing a pistol.
From another angle, a plain-clothes officer fired the shot that was said to have tragically hit Rex.
The aftermath revealed Rex lying on the street, grievously wounded by a bullet in his thigh. A friend, who was unidentified for security reasons, rushed him to Bliss Medical Centre near the National Archives.
Unfortunately, the medical assistance came too late, and Rex succumbed to his injuries minutes later.