Tension erupted in Kakamega after a group of youths stormed the home of 22-year-old Derrick Machanje, seizing his body amid protests over his death after he was reportedly shot during anti-fuel price demonstrations.
The incident reportedly occurred on Friday, May 29, after Machanje’s body was removed from Kakamega Mortuary around 2am the previous day under heavy security in preparation for burial.
According to reports, the move that angered youths which sparked the unrest.
According to footage seen by Whisperswire, a procession of boda boda and tuk-tuk riders could be seen racing down the streets of Kakamega town while closely following a motorcycle carrying Machanje’s coffin.
The deceased 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.
Further reports indicate that Machanje was shot in the head and died during demonstrations on May 18 after police allegedly opened fire.
His family revealed that 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.
Additionally, his kin 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.
