A young man who was hit by a teargas canister has finally regained consciousness at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), two days after the incident.
Confirming the news, activist and Usikimye founder Njeri Migwi revealed that the victim is a 20-year-old named Peter Ndirangu from Naromoru.
According to Migwi, the man is not even a Nairobi resident and had visited a friend in Nairobi in search of a job when he decided to join Kenyans on the streets to protest Albert Ojwang's killing.
Unfortunately, he was hit with the canister during the protest fracas, rendering him unconscious, after which he was taken to the hospital and remained unidentified until he regained consciousness.
When he was discharged on Wednesday, however, the hospital reportedly did not waive his bill, but an unnamed Good Samaritan helped pay it.
"This is Peter Ndirangu. He is only 20. He had come to see a friend about securing a job. When he heard about maandamano, he thought he should join and do his civic duty," she stated.
"He was hit by a teargas canister on his head and was rendered unconscious. I have been following up on him until he woke up two days later. He was able to tell us where he was from."
Migwi further revealed that she, alongside an associate, would drive the young man back home to Naromoru, where he lives with his grandmother.
While issuing an update about the protest casualties on Wednesday, June 18, KNH CEO William Sigilai mentioned that one of the victims who had suffered blunt force trauma to the head was yet to be identified.
"One other patient remains unidentified, having a skull fracture reportedly from an assault," he stated.
The man is among at least 25 people confirmed to have sustained injuries during the protests, according to Amnesty International Kenya.
At KNH alone, 16 people were treated, including one who is still recovering in the facility's Intensive Care Unit (ICU) after being shot in the head by a suspected rubber bullet.
Two officers have since been indicted in the matter. As of Thursday, June 19, the court ruled that they be held in remand for 15 days to allow for further investigations into the case.
