Mother of teen shot by police in Majengo recounts final moments before his death

The mother of 17-year-old Ibrahim Ramadhan has given a heartbreaking account of the moments leading up to her son’s death after he was shot by police in Majengo, Pumwani ward in Kamukunji sub-county.

The Kamukunji High School student's life was cut short by a bullet to his head on Tuesday night.

Speaking to the media at Kenyatta National Hospital on Wednesday, Ibrahim’s mother said the son had left home for evening prayers after reminding his mother to prepare a meal for him upon his return.

Before heading to the mosque, he brought home a five-litre container of cooking oil.

His mother, unaware that this would be their last conversation, later heard a commotion near the social hall.

“I saw the police harassing young men and demanding bribes. I left and went home to turn off the gas, but when I returned, I heard gunshots. I pleaded with the officers to stop shooting because some of the boys were innocent. I reminded them it was Ramadan and that they were only selling food,” she recounted.

The officers allegedly responded by throwing a stone at a table where food items were displayed, scattering them on the ground.

Frustrated, she left the scene to continue her work. Moments later, Ibrahim arrived.

“He held me and asked, ‘Ma, is there a problem?’ I told him I was fine and that no one could harm me,” she said.

Fleeing police officer

Ibrahim then stepped outside, promising to return in four minutes. But before he could make it back, the police officer, who was trying to escape the crowd, fired aimlessly while jumping over the social hall wall.

Ibrahim Ramadhan’s mother recounts her son's final moments before he was shot by a police officer in Majengo. The 17-year-old Kamukunji High School student succumbed to a gunshot injury while receiving treatment at the Kenyatta National Hospital. pic.twitter.com/ejM90jZGbY

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“The officer fired three shots in the air. The fourth bullet struck my son in the head. There was someone in front of him who dodged the bullet, and it hit Ibrahim instead,” she said.

Ibrahim’s mother was still at her workplace when a child rushed in with devastating news. “A small child came running and said, ‘It’s Ibrahim. I saw him.’”

Rushing to the scene, she cradled her son in her arms before he was taken away.

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Desperate, she sought help and boarded a boda boda to Mama Lucy Hospital, where she hoped to see him.

“At Mama Lucy, I was told I couldn’t see him because I was his mother. The facility said they were waiting for a call and a signature from the OCS before they could attend to him,” she said.

When the OCS finally arrived, he assured her that Ibrahim was fine and undergoing an X-ray.

Ibrahim was referred to Kenyatta National Hospital where he succumbed to the gunshot wound.

Kamukunji Member of Parliament Yusuf Hassan condemned the killing and demanded the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to conduct investigations and bring the officer to book.

Yusuf further stressed the urgent need for accountability and justice within the National Police Service.

"The senseless killing of Ibrahim Ramadhan Chege, a 17-year-old youth from Kamukunji, is a tragedy that deeply saddens and angers me. I strongly condemn the murder of Ibrahim, who was shot in the head by a police officer in Majengo yesterday evening and died shortly after being taken to the hospital. His life, full of potential, was cruelly cut short," he said.

"This is not an isolated incident. Ibrahim's death highlights the urgent need for accountability and justice within the national police service. I demand a swift and thorough investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) into this horrific act. The officer responsible must be apprehended and held accountable for his actions. My heart goes out to Ibrahim's mother, Hadija, and the rest of his family. They are in my thoughts during this difficult time. We will ensure that Ibrahim's death is not in vain and that justice is served."