When 19-year-old Victor Kipng'eno Mutai set out from their family home in Masese village in Bomet County last Tuesday to buy sugar, little did his parents know that this errand would be the last time they would see him alive.
Less than ten minutes later, Mutai's lifeless body was found about 100 meters away, a victim of a tragic shooting. He was caught in a battle between police officers and locals during a raid at a nearby police station.
A bullet fired by a police officer struck Mutai, ripping off his jaw and knocking out four of his teeth as he tried to take cover. The incident that took place around 7:30 pm also left two other people injured—one on the hand and another on the back.
“When he left home, I had roasted maize for him, which he ate on his way to the shopping centre as I cooked supper. I did not realise it would be his last meal,” Mutai’s mother Catherine Sang said.
The woman had been ill and relied on her son to do domestic chores as her other children were away. Mutai was preparing to join Sot Technical Institute in Merigi, Bomet East Constituency, to study plumbing, but his life was tragically cut short. Upon learning of her son's death, Ms Sang rushed to the scene where she fell beside Mutai's body in sorrowful heap before being pulled away by relatives.
“The policeman should have killed me instead of my son. I am old and sickly, with little time left compared to my son who had so much life ahead of him,” she said, struggling to contain her grief.
Mutai’s father Livingstone Sang said he was well-known in the community as disciplined, non-violent, and a teetotaller.
“It is heartbreaking that an innocent soul has been lost through the action of a trigger-happy policeman. We are appealing to the government and human rights organisations to pursue this matter and ensure justice is served,” Mr Sang said.
He revealed that a police van that had been parked a distance away was driven to the scene after the shooting.
“When I arrived and was told my son had been shot, I went to where the police van was parked and asked to see the body. The officers did not respond, and when I looked inside the van, I only saw two motorcycles that were said to have been confiscated,” Mr Sang said. Villagers recovered more than seven spent cartridges from the scene, which were handed over to Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) detectives.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) has taken up the matter, visiting the family to collect statements and witnessing the post-mortem exam conducted last Friday.
Mutai’s elder brother Gilbert said the family would not rest until justice is done for a sibling he described as an innocent victim of circumstances.
Mutai’s lost three upper teeth and one lower tooth and had a large elliptical wound on the left side of his neck, according to Dr Godfrey Cheruiyot who conducted the post-mortem exam.
Bomet Central police boss Musa Imamami confirmed the incident and stated that investigations are ongoing, with a report expected to be released later.
Preliminary investigations suggest that the confrontation between the police and residents which led to stone-throwing and live bullets being fired began in a local bar.
The police were allegedly collecting bribes from bar patrons, which reportedly ranged between Sh200 and Sh500 per person, with those taken to the police station paying more.
Ms Beatrice Kirui, a trader, described said those who refused to pay were processed for court appearances in Bomet.
On the night of the incident, officers from Silibwet Police Station arrived at the bar earlier than usual, leading to a confrontation with patrons who demanded identification from the officers.
“The officers dressed in civilian attire locked the door and a quarrel ensued. The patrons eventually fled as the officers started firing indiscriminately,” said Mr Erick Bii, a resident.
Mr Stanley Kirui, another resident, told the Nation he narrowly escaped death.
“A bullet grazed my left rib but luckily missed internal organs. I am thankful it didn’t hit me directly,” Kirui said.
