Late Maseno University student’s mother speaks after police killed her son
Wednesday, 22nd March 2023
The mother of the late Maseno University student who was allegedly shot dead by a police officer during Monday’s protests said she was overwhelmed with emotions when she heard the news.
Speaking to the media on Tuesday, Everline Miruka said her son did not do anything that warranted his killing.
“What did my son do to warrant to be killed like a bandit?” she posed amidst sobs.
According to witness reports, William Mayange, an Education student, was shot at around 5PM as students staged protests in Maseno in solidarity with opposition demonstrations staged across the country.
He was pronounced dead soon after he was rushed to hospital with a bullet wound on his neck.
“I received the news shockingly. I was told that my child was at the hospital, and they lied that he wasn’t dead. When I got to the hospital, they told me my child was long dead,” an emotional Miruka told journalists.
Responding to the incident, the police claimed that the students had invaded a supermarket next to the institution.
“They overpowered the officers who were manning the station. The officers had run out of teargas canisters and blanks,” The Standard quotes a police source.
The shooting sparked tensions at the institutions as more students came out to protest the killing of their colleague.
Kisumu County Governor Anyang Nyong’o condemned the killing and called for the prosecution of the officer behind the shooting.
“It is unfortunate that instead of using teargas or rubber bullets, the police chose to fire live ammunition at the students,” Nyong’o said.
“As we send condolence messages to the family of the slain student and the Maseno University fraternity, we demand that the police officer who fired the killer bullet be arrested and prosecuted as soon as possible,” he asserted.
Other human rights activists and organizations have also condemned the killing and called for the prosecution of the officer involved. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) issued a statement late on Monday saying it was investigating the matter.
