Emotions ran high during a Thursday Madaraka court proceeding in which parents were narrating how their children were shot dead by police officers in their neighbourhood.
According to a report by The Star, the eight children were attending a clean-up meeting in Mukuru Kwa Reuben in 2016 when the police shot them dead.
At the time, it was reported that a caller gave the police a heads-up that the boys were up to no good and that two police officers showed up and opened fire on them killing eight.
The deceased include Shadrack Omuroka (16), Nixon Obure (16), William Matendu (19), Francis Kioko (17), Samuel Ndegwa (19), John Mwangi (17), Elisha Mushughadi and Albert Nyachae (both 24).
According to witness Bernard Mutiso's testimony, his son Francis Kioko, 17, had just come back from the rural home on the fateful day when he met his tragic death. He identified him at City Mortuary.
"There were many gunshots. As I walked out I met a police officer who ordered me to go back to the house.
"I saw my son. He was there. He was shot in the chest,” he narrated in court.
Another witness, Vald Kirigha, narrated that he lived with his son, Mwashigadi, and received a call from his relative who asked where his son was before he unsuccessfully tried reaching him.
So emotional was his narration that he had to be calmed down before he was allowed to continue. It was his younger son who told him that there was a shooting and that Mwashigadi was court in the crossfire.
“He was a funny boy who even tried out Churchill Show but he was told he was not there yet. He was about to do his exams at driving school,” he tearfully told the court.
It was revealed that that two officers, who responded to the caller's laments, arrived at the scene and carried out the operation in two minutes including killing the son of caller.
