Fuel prices protest: Nyeri man allegedly shot dead by police while defending boss's work, mum speaks

• Joseph Mwangi Mathenge was protecting his employer’s business from possible looting by protestors when tragedy struck
• The peanut vendor was allegedly shot dead by the police during the chaotic fuel prices protests in Nyeri town leaving his family in pain
• The young man’s mother emotionally spoke as she appealed for justice for her son, who was the family’s breadwinner

While Kenyans are decrying high fuel prices, a family in Majengo Estate, Nyeri county, is crying out over the loss of their loved one.

During the fuel price protests on Monday, May 25, demonstrations turned chaotic and a young man sadly lost his life in the process.

Ruth Wangari views son’s body in morgue

Joseph Mwangi Mathenge was allegedly shot dead by a police officer, ending his life on the spot and leaving his family devastated.

Mwangi’s mother was inconsolable following the heartbreaking news, as she appealed for justice for her hardworking son, whose death left permanent scars on her heart.

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“I do not want stories or excuses. I just want to know why they killed him. What pained me most is that they denied any shooting. They said they did not open fire on him. They even claimed maybe he was shot somewhere else and then brought to the mortuary,” said Ruth Wangari, the deceased’s mother.

Wangari said that, while at the morgue, she saw what she believed to be a gunshot wound on her son’s head, but she was allegedly told it could have been caused by a sharp object or a stone.

Witness recounts how Mwangi was allegedly shot dead

However, she struggled to accept those explanations, and called for justice and accountability.

Witnesses claimed the deceased had been at work protecting his employer’s business from possible looting by protesters when tragedy struck.

He worked as a peanut vendor and, despite the unrest, remained at his workplace trying to safeguard the business.

“He was standing by the roadside. He was not among the protesters. The police shot him in the head as they continued dispersing others. After chasing the crowd away, they left him bleeding at the scene until he died,” alleged Abdul, a witness.

Mwangi’s neighbour painfully speaks

The deceased’s neighbour, Halima Jaffar, also expressed pain and anger over the incident.

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She echoed Abdul’s account, claiming Mwangi was not participating in the demonstrations.

“He was neither a thief nor carrying stones. He was simply making an honest living selling peanuts. It is so unfair,” she said.

With tears flowing down her cheeks, Wangari insisted her son was not a criminal and appealed to the government to investigate the incident.

Police clash with reject fuel prices protesters

In another story, armed police officers clashed with protesters along Thika Road as demonstrations linked to a nationwide matatu strike over recent fuel price increases turned chaotic.

A video shared by NTV showed running battles between anti-riot police officers and groups of youth gathered along the busy highway to protest the rising cost of living and fuel prices.

Reports indicated that protesters paralysed traffic for several hours by setting tyres on fire and blocking the road with stones.

Source: NGBREAKINGNEWS