June 25 protests death toll rises as autopsy shows two youths died from gunshot wounds

Two more young men have been confirmed to have died from gunshot wounds sustained during the June 25 Gen Z protests, adding to the growing list of casualties linked to police action during the nationwide demonstrations.

Joseph Ndiang’ui, 27, from Othaya, Nyeri County, died from severe internal bleeding in his lungs caused by a bullet, according to a post-mortem conducted at the Mwai Kibaki Funeral Home.

“The doctor said the bullet entered from the right side, grazed the ribs, and exited through the front of the chest. But it had already damaged the lungs, causing massive bleeding,” David Gitonga, the family spokesperson, told Citizen TV.

Another victim, 17-year-old Brian Ndung’u from Ol Kalou in Nyandarua County, succumbed to gunshot injuries, with a post-mortem at J.M. Kariuki Hospital revealing he was shot twice in the right side of his back.

Pathologist Titus Ngulungu, who performed the post-mortem, confirmed that the teenager died from wounds caused by the bullets.

Brian’s mother, Elizabeth Wanjiru, has now appealed for justice, saying her son was innocent.

“Justice must be served for my son. He was still very young. He wasn’t stealing or causing trouble; he was just doing his work. No one from the government has even come to ask me a single question about my child,” she said.

The revelations come in the wake of the death of 22-year-old hawker Boniface Kariuki, who was shot at close range during a protest in Nairobi demanding justice for fellow victim Albert Ojwang.

Kariuki died on Monday, June 30, after spending two weeks in the intensive care unit at Kenyatta National Hospital, where he had undergone several surgeries.

A post-mortem conducted on Thursday at KNH by Government Pathologist Peter Ndegwa confirmed that Kariuki died from a severe head injury caused by four bullet fragments lodged in his brain.

Deaths in Emali

On June 30, further post-mortems confirmed that two protesters killed during the June 25 demonstrations in Emali Town, Makueni County, also died from gunshot wounds.

Autopsies conducted at Kilome MNH Hospital Mortuary revealed that Garson Mutisya, 33, and Makau Mualuko, 23, were fatally shot in the chest, with the bullets exiting through their backs.

“It’s now clear that my brother was shot dead by the police,” Victor Mulwa, brother of Makau Mualuko, said.

“We are asking the government for thorough investigations and justice.”

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Garson Mutisya’s family spokesperson, Robinson Musyoki, echoed the call for accountability, saying the family is suffering.

“We are in deep pain as a family, but we are satisfied with the postmortem results. He was his mother’s only son. We plead with well-wishers to help us bury him with dignity, his blood will not be shed in vain,” he said.

The wave of mourning has also reached Nairobi’s Pipeline estate, where the family of 21-year-old Abdul Juma Okello is grieving.

Okello was reportedly shot in the head along the Pipeline footbridge on the same day of the protests. He succumbed to his injuries later that afternoon.

Fatalities

Amnesty International and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) confirmed that 16 people were killed during the June 25 anti-government protests, most of them by police gunfire.

“Police killed most,” Amnesty Kenya Executive Director Irũngũ Houghton said.

KNCHR had also reported that eight of the deaths were caused by live bullets.

The commission also documented over 400 injuries, including those of protesters, police officers, and journalists, resulting from the use of live rounds, rubber bullets and water cannons.

“Over 400 casualties have been reported, including demonstrators, police officers, and journalists,” the commission said.

Further, Kenyatta National Hospital reported treating 107 people, most suffering from gunshot injuries. However, the facility did not report any deaths.

According to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), 61 people were arrested during the demonstrations.

The protests were held exactly one year after the deadly 2024 demonstrations over the controversial Finance Bill. Last year’s protests saw over 60 people killed and Parliament stormed by demonstrators.

This year, thousands took to the streets in cities and towns across the country, with Nairobi recording the highest turnout.