What was meant to be a day of political excitement has turned into a nightmare for two Kenyan families, after young men who left home to attend the Linda Mwananchi rallies were found dead.
Family and friends of Joseph Shikuku and 19-year-old Brandon Ong’or have been left devastated after identifying the bodies of their loved ones at the Nairobi Funeral Home.
The two young men had reportedly left home intending to join thousands of Kenyans attending the highly charged Linda Mwananchi rallies, but the day ended in tragedy after they were allegedly attacked by unknown assailants.
Evan Okoth, who was travelling with Shikuku from Donholm to join the rally along Jogoo Road, recalls the moment the situation turned violent.
Okoth says he was attacked by a man allegedly armed with a panga and was later rescued by a matatu crew. He would later learn that his friend, Shikuku, had died during the incident after allegedly being thrown from a bridge.
For Brandon Ong’or’s family, the pain was equally devastating. The 19-year-old reportedly left home telling his mother that he was going to attend the rally, only for her to later find his lifeless body at the Nairobi Funeral Home.
Sources at the facility said three bodies reportedly booked as victims of mob justice were brought to the funeral home following the politically charged rally.
The deaths have raised fresh questions over the violence surrounding political gatherings and the safety of young Kenyans taking part in public demonstrations.
Authorities have yet to publicly establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths or identify those responsible for the alleged attacks.
