A family in Nakuru is mourning the loss of their first-born son, Michael Kihunga, just weeks after laying his father to rest.
The 28-year-old Michael was fatally shot in the abdomen thrice during the demonstration in the city on Tuesday, leaving his loved ones shattered and calling for justice.
“After falling back, I don’t know what happened…I even have footage,” Jeremy Maina who was Michael’s friend said.
“Tulikua na yeye, nikaskia ameenda maandamanao, nikamwambia Mike usiende maandamano, Mike akachukua motorbike akaaenda (We were with him, then I heard he was going for demos. I told him not to go but he took a motorbike and went),” Rose Nyaguthi, Mike’s mother narrated.
The family, still reeling from the loss of Michael's father not long ago, now finds itself confronted with yet another devastating tragedy.
Michael, described by his cousin John Kariuki as a promising young man with a bright future ahead, became a victim of the recent unrest that led to the death of several protesters.
"We have lost a very young man," John Kariuki lamented.
"Noamba Serikali itusaidie juu ata hatuna nguvu," Nyaguthi pleaded in Swahili, calling on the government for assistance and demanding accountability for Michael's untimely death.
Protests that started as demonstrations by groups of young people known as Generation Z, took a dramatic twist moments after MPs voted to approve the Finance Bill, 2024.
The Gen Zs had vowed to stage massive protests across the country in protest against the Finance Bill, 2024.
