Nakuru boy shot 11 times while buying medicine for ailing mother

Caroline Chepkoech, from Bondeni Estate in Nakuru East, nearly lost her son on June 27 during the protests against the Finance Bill, 2024.

On that fateful day, Chepkoech's 14-year-old son was sent to town to buy asthma medicine for his ailing mother. However, he found himself caught in the chaos of the police clashing with demonstrators, who fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, and the boy was shot 11 times.

Recalling the incident, the boy explained, "I woke up to go to town to get my mom's medicine. Suddenly, a vehicle arrived, and they threw tear gas. I lay down, but they found a way to shoot me, then told me to get up and go home."

His mother, who has been diligently caring for his injuries, mostly on his back, says he is in excruciating pain now that his medication has run out.

She noted that it has been five days since he was discharged from the hospital, but her son continues to suffer from severe pain, especially at night.

"He cries out in pain during the night. I tell him to endure because he has come a long way. The medicine he was using is finished, and he needs his wounds dressed every other day," Chepkoech said.

The aftermath of the June 27 incident has plunged the family into distress. The boy requires Sh300 daily for wound dressing and pain medication, a cost the family says it cannot afford.

Caroline Chepkoech attends to her son, who was shot 11 times on June 27 during the protests against the Finance Bill, 2024 in Nakuru. (Photo: Citizen TV)

His mother is now appealing to the government and well-wishers for assistance with medical expenses.

"I'm appealing for any help possible because he is a student, and we do not have the means," Chepkoech said.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, July 7, hundreds of Kenyans held a concert at Uhuru Park, Nairobi, to commemorate the deaths of more than three dozen people killed in the anti-government protests.

At least 39 people were killed in the demonstrations that started on June 18, as protesters pushed for planned tax hikes to be scrapped and also demanded the resignation of President William Ruto.

Youth held placards reading "RIP Comrades" and "We promise we'll keep fighting", while the crowd chanted "Ruto must go." Others hammered crosses into the ground, surrounded by Kenyan flags and the names of the deceased.

Despite President Ruto scrapping the Finance Bill, which would have introduced a raft of new taxes, protesters led by Gen Z have vowed to continue with demonstrations until the government addresses corruption, which they say is the core problem.

Police officers argue with a protestor during a demonstration against Kenya's proposed finance bill 20242025 in Nairobi, Kenya, June 25, 2024. (Photo: REUTERS/Monicah Mwangi)