A grieving mother from Kitengela has been left in distress after a mortuary reportedly refused to accept the body of her 21-year-old son, who was allegedly shot dead by police during the Saba Saba protests on Monday, July 7.
Ann Nyawira, the mother of the deceased, Brian Kimutai, told journalists that her family had been forced to drive around with her son’s lifeless body in their vehicle after a local morgue turned them away.
She alleged that the mortuary demanded a police permit before admitting the body for preservation.
“We rushed to the mortuary, but they refused to take the body. They told us to get a permit from the police,” Nyawira said tearfully. “When we went to the police station, the officers told us they were tired and asked us to return the next morning at 8am.”
Nyawira said she eventually managed to obtain an Occurrence Book (OB) number and hoped the mortuary would accept the body for post-mortem examination.
Describing the traumatic events surrounding her son’s death, Nyawira claimed she overheard police officers plotting to confiscate and possibly dispose of the body to destroy evidence.
“I heard one officer say they needed to know where I was taking the body so they could collect it later at night and get rid of evidence,” she said.
Kimutai was reportedly shot during the nationwide anti-government protests, which were marked by clashes between demonstrators and law enforcement officers in several counties.
The mother’s harrowing ordeal has sparked outrage online, with Kenyans condemning the actions of both the police and mortuary staff.
Social media users expressed anger over what they described as systemic abuse and disregard for human life, especially targeting young protesters.
“Parents are always the ones who suffer,” said Kiprotich Kigen.
Another user, Thanare Peter, remarked, “Bodies of those shot by police are being taken by the same officers, leading to many unaccounted deaths.”
While some urged caution against protesting, others decried the growing number of mysterious disappearances and alleged cover-ups involving police.
Nyawira now hopes that a proper post-mortem will be conducted so that justice can be sought for her son.
Meanwhile, the incident adds to the growing list of concerns over police conduct during recent demonstrations in Kenya.
Written By Rodney Mbua
