KAKAMEGA: Youths Storm Burial, Take Body Of Student Killed During Anti-Fuel Protests
A gang of youngsters stormed the home of 22-year-old Derrick Machanje in Kakamega, causing tension to rise.
They snatched his remains amid outrage over his death after he was allegedly shot during anti-fuel price demonstrations.
The incident occurred on Friday, May 29, after Machanje’s body was transported from Kakamega Mortuary at 2 a.m. the previous day under heavy security in preparation for burial, which enraged teenagers and sparked disturbance.
A viral video showed a procession of boda boda and tuk-tuk riders racing through the streets of Kakamega while closely following a motorcycle carrying Machanje’s coffin.
Businesses in Kakamega town were closed as chaos erupted over the student’s death, and residents held a procession ahead of his burial in Shinyalu.
This is the situation in Kakamega, where students from Sigalagala Polytechnic are protesting the murder of 22 year old Derrick Machanje who was shot dead during the Monday fuel protest.
The students have removed the body from the hearse and are currently protesting with the body… pic.twitter.com/J2nGBHnOcS— I am Chege (@_James041) May 29, 2026
Machanje, also known as “Mwala,” was a second-year mechanical engineering student at Sigalagala National Polytechnic and worked part-time as a tuk-tuk driver to support his studies.
Reports indicate that the crowd that fled with his body mainly comprised fellow students and tuk-tuk operators.
According to reports, Machanje was shot in the head and died during demonstrations on May 18 after police allegedly opened fire.
His family said they first learned of his death through social media posts before being directed to the mortuary, after initially searching for him at Kakamega County Referral Hospital.
Protests have erupted in Kakamega after Sigalagala National Polytechnic students retrieved the body of their colleague, Derrick, from his rural home and returned it to town.
Derrick was allegedly shot dead during anti-fuel demonstrations. The body had earlier been moved from… pic.twitter.com/mXf08glh6j— The Eastleigh Voice (@Eastleighvoice) May 29, 2026
They further alleged that, based on the condition of the body, authorities had performed a procedure to remove a bullet and stitched the wound without informing or seeking consent from relatives.
ALSO READ:
- UTUMISHI GIRLS FIRE: DCI Detains EIGHT Students In Arson Probe
- Education Ministry Dissolves Utumishi Girls Board, Orders Action Against School Principal
- KAKAMEGA: Youths Storm Burial, Take Body Of Student Killed During Anti-Fuel Protests
- National Assembly Summons CS Duale Over US Ebola Quarantine Deal
- EACC Arrests Kenya Power Employee Over Ksh30,000 Bribe
The family has demanded justice, urging the government to provide clear explanations and take responsibility for what they describe as an avoidable loss of life.
Kakamega residents have also expressed anger over the incident, calling for accountability over both the killing and the handling of protest-related deaths.
The case comes amid growing public outrage over fatalities reported during last week’s nationwide protests against rising fuel prices, which disrupted transport services.
The demonstrations reportedly left 17 people dead and several others injured, some allegedly due to police action, prompting renewed calls for accountability from human rights groups.
KAKAMEGA: Youths Storm Burial, Take Body Of Student Killed During Anti-Fuel Protests
