A somber mood filled Rongai on Thursday, July 4th, as a crowd gathered to honor 12-year-old Kennedy Onyango. A week after his tragic death during anti-tax protests, a white casket and a cross were carried by mourners, some crying out in grief.
Women and children joined the procession, screams mixing with the rhythmic beating of drums. Kennedy’s mother spoke to the media earlier that week, emphasizing her son’s innocence. He was not involved in the protests and had no criminal record.
A classmate, who had waited hours to return a book to Kennedy, was devastated to learn of his death. The postmortem confirmed the cause: a fatal bullet wound that shattered arteries and punctured his lungs.
Meanwhile, at the City Mortuary, families mourned young men killed in the riots. One such victim was 22-year-old Wilson Sitati, a student at the Olympic Technical Institute. His worried family, unable to reach him by phone (which remained “mteja,” meaning unavailable), received a call to identify his body. An autopsy revealed blunt force trauma to the chest and neck.
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The family of the late Kennedy has received support from Kenyans, who have shown sympathy and contributed money for a proper send-off.
Eric Omondi was among those who took the initiative to help the family.