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Boxing champion Raphael Shigali among those shot dead in Azimio protests
Raphael Shigali. He was shot dead during anti-government protests on July 12, 2023.
A celebrated boxing champion is among Kenyans who lost their lives during the anti-government protests on Wednesday.
Raphael Shigali, 35, who is the reigning Nairobi Bantamweight Champion, was allegedly shot dead by police officers near Mogas petrol station on Jogoo Road, Nairobi.
The family, through his elder brother, Omar Shakur aka Immoh, said Thursday that Shigali's body was taken to Chiromo mortuary.
The family is currently making burial arrangements at their home in Jericho Estate, Nairobi.
"My younger brother lost his life on Wednesday, a post-mortem conducted today (Thursday) shows that he died of a single gunshot wound to the head," Immoh said.
Immoh appealed for support for the family to get justice.
According to activists from the Makadara Social, Justice and Information Centre, Shigali was allegedly shot by a police officer attached to Jogoo Road Police Station.
In a statement, Mr Adagala Adagala, who works as a coordinator at the centre, said Shigali was a promising boxer and a trainer to many youths in Jericho and Makadara areas.
"It is sad that we have lost a promising boxer and a youth in our community to unnecessary extrajudicial execution by a police officer attached to Jogoo Road Police Station. In enforcing the law, police officers are never above the law and cannot act outside the law," Mr Adagala said in a statement.
Mr Adagala said the law was clear on when a police officer should use extra force in enforcing the law.
The activist described the officer who shot the deceased as a trigger-happy policeman who should be arrested and charged with first-degree murder.
He appealed to the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (Ipoa) to investigate the matter and take action against the officer.
"In Makadara Constituency, we will not allow the emergence of trigger-happy police officers to patrol our estates and villages as they pose a clear deadly danger to residents and especially our youth who are mostly mistaken due to systemic malfunctioning," he said.
According to Mr Adagala, three other youths were also injured by police during the anti-government protests.
IPoa yesterday said the killing of Shigali was among several cases of police officers being investigated for using excessive force.
"Ipoa has launched investigations into various incidents that occurred in parts of the country during the mass protests that pitted the police against members of the public," the organisation said in a statement.
Investigations by the Nation reveal that Shigali spent most of Wednesday at the Jericho Social Hall, where he interacted with fellow boxers and youths as he trained.
A few minutes after 4pm, he left the hall and headed towards the Mogas petrol station on Jogoo Road, where protesters were engaged in running battles with police officers.
His family and friends say he was on his way home after training, as was his norm.
"We saw him fall to the ground," said a member of the public who witnessed the incident.
The source, who sought anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter, went on to say that some youths rushed him to Makadara Health Centre, but found the facility closed.
At around 5.30pm, they managed to get a vehicle and took him to the Metropolitan Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
