Brian Muendo, 19, the young man who was allegedly shot dead by a police officer during the anti-government demonstrations in Emali Town, Makueni County was to join Kenyatta University for a Computer Science course.
His mother Miriam Mbithe said she was struggling to raise and educate him together with his younger sister.
The sister is in form one at a high school in Machakos County.
The widow said she severally slept hungry to educate and raise her children since she didn't have a reliable source of livelihood.
"Brian was my first child. He sat his KCSE examinations in 2022 and attained C plus grade. I slept hungry to raise and educate my children," Mbithe told reporters at her rented house in Emali Town on Thursday.
The widow narrated to Haki Africa executive director Hussein Khalid and his team on the ordeals she had gone through since her son died by the bullet.
She said the deceased was her only hope. He had promised her a better future once done with his education.
Haki Africa is a human rights organisation based in Mombasa, Kenya. It, however, has programs across the country.
Mbithe said she had been raising her children singlehandedly after their father died in a road accident in 2014. She said the deceased was in class four when the father died.
His younger sister was in class one.
"He had promised to support me once done with his education. He also promised to educate his younger sister," Mbithe said.
"I want justice. He was young with a bright future," Mbithe said.
Mbithe said her son left the house to go look at what was happening on the road when he was caught by the bullet leading to his death.
Muendo's body was still lying at Kilome MNH hospital mortuary in Emali, Makueni County when the Star visited the facility.
The hospital's administrator, Stanley, said they received the young man's body and three victims who had sustained various injuries due to the demonstrations.
He said the victims, all men, included a 35-year-old civilian and two police officers who were all treated and discharged.
The administrator said a postmortem was yet to be conducted on the body to establish the cause of the death.
He noted that the deceased had a wound in his abdomen when they received the body.
Khalid said as Haki Africa, they condemn the act among other cases reported across the country where nine people are said to have died of police bullets during the demonstrations.
He said the usage of excessive force by the police won't be allowed in the country.
Khalid said police should be at the forefront of protecting lives and not ending them.
He demanded that all the police officers involved in the killings during the protests should be interdicted, arrested, charged and if found guilty of the offences, jailed for life.
"It's unfair for a widow like this who had struggled to educate this boy only to meet his death to a police bullet. This shouldn't happen," Khalid said.
"Police should be at the forefront of protecting lives, not ending citizens' lives. As a human rights organisation, we say that the government must take action. The person who shot and killed the young man is known to this family and we are told no action has been taken against him. We want justice to happen," Khalid said.
Khalid said those in conflict with the law should be lawfully arrested and arraigned, not shot dead.
He said the Constitution had given the public the right to demonstrations and picketing.
"There is no crime called organising demonstrations in our law. It is the Constitution that has given that right. What we are saying must happen is if death, destruction of property and breach of law occurs, the suspects must be held liable for the law to take its course," Khalid said.
"But, we can't charge someone because he wants to demonstrate. We can't say, for instance, if people move, they will lose lives through road accidents. So, we prevent everyone from moving."
Khalid said the Constitution has given citizens the freedom of movement.
"We recognise that police have the right to protect lives and property. But, it must be executed within the law," Khalid said.
Noting that Article 37 of the Constitution gives the right to demonstrations, that right must be respected by law enforcement officers.
"Nine people died allegedly out of police excessive forces yesterday (Wednesday). We condemn all kinds of killings. We can't allow anyone to get involved in ending other Kenyans' lives," Khalid said.
He said as an organisation, they had briefed IPOA on the incidences.
"If you use excessive force, be ready to face the law," Khalid told police.