Hundreds of students from Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) flooded the streets on Friday, unleashing their anger and grief over the suspicious death of fellow student Denzel Omondi.
The protest began as students blocked sections of Thika Super Highway, marching in unison towards the Juja Police Station to demand answers and justice for their fallen comrade.
The students were making chants of “Justice for Denzel!” The atmosphere electric and charged with emotion.
Videos online show some students being thrown out of class to join the protests. The emotions ran high as students brandished placards and banners, some bearing haunting images of Omondi.
The tragic circumstances surrounding the 23-year-old’s demise have ignited fierce demands for justice and accountability.
Omondi, a third-year student, was last seen alive during a massive anti-government protest at the National Assembly on June 25, 2024.
His vibrant spirit, captured in a video from inside Parliament, turned into despair when he went missing the following day.
After days of uncertainty and frantic searching by his family, his body was discovered on July 6, floating lifelessly in a deserted quarry in Juja.
An autopsy conducted after the grim discovery determined that Omondi had drowned. However, unsettling findings raised serious questions: bruises on his head and legs suggested foul play, casting a dark cloud over the official explanation. His family and human rights advocates firmly reject the autopsy results, insisting he was murdered.
Amnesty International Kenya, alongside various human rights organisations, has joined the call for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding Omondi's death.
They demand a transparent process, urging authorities to look beyond the initial findings and uncover the truth. The weight of their advocacy echoes the sentiments of a nation grappling with deep-rooted issues of governance and human rights.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also stepped in, conducting a site visit to scrutinise the events leading up to Omondi’s death.
Investigators from the Juja Police Station have been gathering statements from family members, trying to piece together the timeline and circumstances that led to this heartbreaking loss.
