Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Embakasi East MP Babu Owino on Monday, February 23, visited the family of Vincent Ayomo, who was shot dead during a political rally in Kitengela.
Speaking during the visit, Sifuna expressed sympathy to the bereaved family and directly blamed the government for the death, insisting that those holding the rally were not responsible for the shooting.
“We just want to express our condolences for the loss of your relative, and the person who should be blamed is the Government of Kenya because we did not shoot anyone. Vincent was killed by a police bullet,” he said.
Sifuna clarified the circumstances under which Ayomo was shot, stating that the incident occurred after the rally had concluded and reiterating that their meetings are meant to engage citizens peacefully.
‘Vincent was not shot while the meeting was ongoing; he was shot after the meeting had ended. Our intention is to speak with citizens, and we do not expect that anyone should lose their life because of meetings,” he added.
Sifuna further assured the family of their support and pledged to push for investigations, arguing that the bullet used could be traced back to the officer responsible.
“The little we can do for now is to help ease your burden. We see how you are living here, and even after the burial, we will follow up to ensure that justice is served. All government bullets have serial numbers, and the police officer responsible can be traced and identified. We want accountability from the government, and the person involved in Vincent’s killing must be known,” he stated.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since launched investigations following Vincent’s death.
In a statement released on Monday, February 16, after monitoring events in both Mombasa and Kajiado County, the authority confirmed that it had been present to observe police conduct as part of its constitutional mandate.
“The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), pursuant to its mandate, monitored police conduct during the political rallies held in Mombasa and Kajiado counties on 15th February 2026 to ensure compliance with Article 244 of the Constitution of Kenya and other applicable laws,” the statement read.
IPOA expressed concern over the reported fatality and injuries during the rally, stating that the incident occurred as police officers sought to maintain public order.
“The Authority noted with great concern the loss of life and injuries during the Kitengela political rally, allegedly occurring as members of the National Police Service (NPS) endeavoured to maintain law and order,” the statement added.
Following the incident, the oversight body said it had immediately moved to initiate an independent inquiry.
A rapid-response team made up of monitoring and investigation officers has been dispatched to collect evidence, interview witnesses, and establish the sequence of events that led to the death.
“Accordingly, in compliance with Part B (5) of the Sixth Schedule of the NPS Act, CAP. 84 of the Laws of Kenya, read together with Section 6(a) of the IPOA Act, CAP. 86 of the Laws of Kenya, IPOA has deployed a rapid-response team comprising monitoring and investigation officers to Kitengela to conduct independent inquiry into the matter,” the statement continued.
IPOA said the investigation will focus on determining the circumstances surrounding the incident, including the role played by law enforcement officers and whether the force used was necessary and proportionate under Kenyan law.
“The investigations aim to establish the circumstances surrounding the incident, determine the extent of police involvement, assess whether the use of force was justified, and evaluate whether it was proportionate as defined by law,” the statement noted
IPOA pledged transparency once the inquiry is complete, saying the findings will be released to the public and recommendations issued to relevant government agencies if wrongdoing is established.
“The Authority will make its findings public and issue recommendations to the relevant agencies to address identified issues where culpability is established,” the statement concluded.
