ANTI-FINANCE BILL PROTESTS: Evans Kiratu’s Family Issues 2 Demands To The Gov’t
Emotions ran high at the burial of Evans Kiratu Karobia, 21, who died during last week’s anti-Finance Bill protests in Nairobi.
Kiratu died as a result of injuries caused by a teargas canister.
He was buried on Friday, with the family requesting a public apology and compensation from President William Ruto.
The burial took place in Karambaini village, which is located in Kiambu. The burial was not attended by any political leaders or government officials.
Kiratu was a trained plumber. His 161-word eulogy stated that he died in an accident during’mandamano’ in Nairobi.
Chris Munene, the Good Samaritan who rushed Kiratu to Kenyatta National Hospital for treatment, recounted what occurred.
He said the incident occurred around 630 p.m. between Haile Sellassie Avenue and Tom Mboya Street, as protestors were leaving the CBD.
The pain of a mother saying goodbye to her son Shujaa Evans Kiratu who was killed in the #RejectFinanceBill2024 protests. Presently, Shujaa Evans' body is on the way to his rural home for burial today. pic.twitter.com/SMi257OzKm
— husseinkhalid (@husskhalid) June 28, 2024
He stated that tear gas was thrown in their direction and that a man was lying on the road.
“We were leaving the protest and all of a sudden, a teargas was thrown into the crowd and it hit a man and we rushed to help the man who was writhing in pain,” Munene said.
He said the man he didn’t know was crying and claiming his private parts were missing.
Munene stated that at the hospital, there were other injured people, so it took a long time for medical personnel to attend to him.
He stated that the delay prompted him to record the entire scenario on his phone, and that is when medical assistance was provided.
“I asked the man what his name was but he was not able to speak properly as he was vomiting blood and kept on giving me half the number of a contact person as he complained about his groin,” he said.
Munene claimed he searched him and discovered only a pocket radio on him.
He claimed to have left Kiratu in the hospital at around 12 a.m. while he was being treated.
The following day, he was informed by medical personnel that the patient had died.
“I could not believe that the young man was dead since I left him alive being attended to by doctors. I asked to see the body and I confirmed it was the man who we helped to the hospital. It is quite sad to lose a young person,” he said.
Hannah Wanjiru Waithanji, Kiratu’s mother, said in her tribute that she was proud to have seen him grow into the great example he set for his friends and family.
Wanjiru stated that Kiratu was extremely important to her, but life can be cruel at times.
“When hearts are torn in two but nothing ever could compare to the pain of losing you,” she proceeded.
ANTI-FINANCE BILL PROTESTS: Evans Kiratu’s Family Issues 2 Demands To The Gov’t
