A family in Maweni, Kilifi County, is in distress following the death of a 17-year-old kin who was allegedly shot by police while attending a wedding.
The young man allegedly died on the spot on Saturday, October 26, from a bullet wound in his chest.
According to area residents, the victim was shot at a wedding venue at night by police, who raided the event.
The victim's parent also gave an account of what happened, alleging that his son was in the company of friends at the time of the incident.
"My child had attended a wedding and as he was playing with his friend, police stormed in and as they ran away, an officer singled him out and shot him," he narrated.
A post-mortem further revealed that the boy was shot from the back with the bullet puncturing his lung and coming out at the front.
As the family grapples with the loss of their loved one, area residents are adamant the teenager was a casualty of police brutality.
"There are reports that these children tried to evade police, but I don't think so because the officers were not there to maintain order," she noted adding, "If that was the case then they would not have come with so much aggression. Those officers were looking for a fight."
The motives behind the raid at the wedding remain unknown, and police are yet to confirm the killing.
Meanwhile, Human Rights Group HAKI Africa has called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to probe into the matter as the family seeks justice.
"We don't understand why the police had to use live bullets. We as HAKI Africa all on IPOA to investigate the motives behind the shooting," a HAKI Africa representative said.
The issue of police brutality has come under scrutiny in recent months, with a large section of Kenyans questioning how authorities are able to get away with using excessive force on suspects.
In July, lobby groups were up in arms against Police at the height of the anti-Finance Bill protests which saw a spate of abductions and deaths.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the global media rights watchdog headquartered in Paris, also stepped in criticising Kenya police for brutality inflicted on local and international journalists covering the demonstrations.
