Sakaja Vows to Get Justice for 13-Year-Old Killed by Police

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja makes his remarks during the launch of a report titled Job Entry Level Skills launched at the Serena Hotel on November 6, 2019.
Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja makes his remarks during the launch of a report titled Job Entry Level Skills launched at the Serena Hotel on November 6, 2019.
Daily Nation

Nairobi Senator Johnson Sakaja on Wednesday, April 1 visited the family of 13-year-old Yassin Moyo who was killed by a police bullet as he watched officers enforce the 7 PM curfew on Monday, March 30.

Sakaja was accompanied by Mathare MP Anthony Oluoch, a representative from the office of the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai and officers from Huruma Police Station.

They held a public forum in Kiamaiko with members of the community who laid out their grievances, decrying the unnecessary police violence meted out to them among other things.

When it was his turn to speak, Sakaja passed his condolences to the family as he vowed to get justice for Yassin, further stating that he was ready to use his own resources to secure the same.

Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohamed Badi and Senator Johnson Sakaja on Thursday, March 26, 2020.
Nairobi Metropolitan Services Director General Mohamed Badi and Senator Johnson Sakaja on Thursday, March 26, 2020.
Twitter

"I want to tell you as a brother, as the Senator of Nairobi, and as the Chair of a Senate committee on Coronavirus, Yassin will get justice.

"I promise you, even if it means using my own resources, hiring our own lawyers, we must get justice for Yassin so that tomorrow another officer doesn't assume they can do things anyhow thinking they will go scot-free. We are not living in a banana republic.

"The human rights of citizens have not been suspended in this country. I'm giving you a promise as your senator. There's no way we can bring him back, we can't. But what we can do for the tears of his mother and father to be wiped away is to get justice," he asserted.

Sakaja disclosed that he had engaged officials including Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang'i, Interior Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho and Inspector General Mutyambai over the case.

The senator further disclosed that President Uhuru Kenyatta had informed him to pass his condolences to the family and apologized for any improper conduct by the police service enforcing the curfew meant to curb the spread of Covid-19.

"I want to assure you (Yassin's father), we will stand with you, your children and your family, and not just today.

"President Uhuru Kenyatta has also told me to pass his condolences to you, and on TV he has apologized for this killing and that of another individual.

"This is not the war we are fighting as the government. The government is fighting Coronavirus, not the citizens," he stated.

Police officers from Huruma Police Station also passed their condolences and apologized to the family even as they promised accountability.

Citizens were also urged to comply with the curfew to avoid unnecessary confrontation with the officers.

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