A victim's family recounted their son's death to DW during last June's protests against a controversial finance bill. More than 60 protest-related deaths linked to police violence remain under investigation.
00:00Young Kenyans are protesting on the streets again and once more they're angry at the death of one of their own.
00:07They say at the hands of the authorities.
00:10This time it's Albert Ojuang's name they're calling.
00:13He was a teacher and blogger who was arrested for publishing supposedly false claims about the deputy police chief
00:19and found dead in his police cell.
00:22Watching Ojuang's father on TV is a horror for Jillian Munyao and Crispin Odawa.
00:27Their son Rex was shot and killed at a protest a year ago.
00:32Sometimes I watch whatever is happening on TV, my tears always come.
00:41It's so painful that we are trying to heal then come another bombshell of Ojuang.
00:49Rex Masai Kanike was the first person to die during last year's so-called Gen Z protests against a controversial finance bill.
00:56Local news outlets showed CCTV footage of a crowd running from the police and a man thought to be a plain-clothes officer shooting a handgun.
01:06Rex's parents show us where he died.
01:09You could trace the blood from where he was.
01:11From where he was shot.
01:13There, to this place, then some when they were crossing the road.
01:19Bonifaz Mwangi, a prominent activist, arrived at the clinic that evening and found Rex's family and friends standing over his body.
01:26It unlocked emotions that I've never had before.
01:29And then we had to be there for the family. We organized a fundraiser for the family.
01:35And we thought Rex was the first and the last person to be shot.
01:39And then a couple of days later, on June 25th, the government killed more people.
01:45Rex's death became integrated into the protests.
01:48They grew and eventually people stormed the parliament building.
01:51That's when security forces fired on them.
01:55Kenya's police watchdog, Aipoa, is investigating 60 deaths and 233 injuries connected to police conduct during the 2024 protests.
02:04Criticized for being ineffective and intransparent, Aipoa says the police often do not cooperate.
02:10For example, an incident may happen near a police station or there is a demonstration in a county or somewhere else.
02:19And somebody is killed. Who was issued which gun?
02:22Those are very basic information that you require before you even start the investigations.
02:27But the law says the officer of the police station needs to cooperate.
02:33There are some signs of consequences.
02:35Six men, including three police officers, are now facing murder charges in connection with Albert Ojuang's death.
02:41And Kenya's deputy police chief has stepped aside while an investigation is underway.
02:46But the violence is not stopping.
02:48During protests against Ojuang's death, the W cameras caught the shooting of a young vendor in the head on video.
02:55Two police officers were arrested as a result.
02:58The police officer who did that particular shooting was masking his face.
03:02That's even illegal. So a lot of illegality.
03:06So as a protester, you have to know that when you go to the streets, you're going to deal with goons, militia and police officers disguised in goons clothes or civilian clothes.
03:21The National Police Service denies working with such groups.
03:24Rex's case is one of only two of the 60 deaths from last year to make it to an official inquest in court.
03:31Rex's parents and other families had hoped for police support to commemorate the anniversary of last year's deaths.
03:38We want to plant flowers for our fallen heroes.
03:43We want to have prayers for our kids to mark that one year down the line.
03:50Are we supposed to keep quiet?
03:52Rex's mother says she's not going to keep quiet and has vowed to march for justice for him and the others.
