The family of a 23-year-old man allegedly shot dead by police officers near the Del Monte farm fence in Del View, Murang’a County, is demanding an independent investigation to establish the circumstances surrounding his death and identify the officer who fired the fatal shot.
Peter Kimani Gitau was shot at about 3:00 am on Saturday while allegedly in the company of other young men who were attempting to enter the Del Monte farm to steal pineapples.
His death sparked protests along the Thika-Kenol Highway on Saturday morning, with some of the protesters reportedly robbing motorists and disrupting transport before police intervened to restore order.
Kimani’s cousin, Esther Njeri, said the family received a call at around 3:00 am informing them that he had been shot, prompting them and neighbours to rush to a private hospital in Kenol where he had been taken.
Njeri said they found Kimani unconscious and receiving oxygen, with medical staff asking relatives to keep their distance as they tried to save his life.
She said the family was initially unable to establish exactly what had caused his death, but they noticed what appeared to be a deep wound on his chest.
Njeri said the family later faced difficulties securing an Occurrence Book (OB) number required to facilitate the transfer of Kimani’s body to General Kago Funeral Home in Thika.
She said they moved between Kabati and Kenol police stations before they eventually obtained the necessary documentation at Kenol Police Station, allowing the body to be transferred to the funeral home.
Community leader Gichango Njuki, who joined the family in demanding investigations, raised concerns over alleged dealings between some Del Monte farm guards and young men involved in pineapple theft.
Njuki claimed that some unemployed youths from Kabati, Makenji and Kenol had been involved in an arrangement with guards to access pineapples from the farm, only for the relationship to turn hostile when disputes arose.
“These young people are unemployed and, from what we have seen, there are allegations of business dealings between some of them and guards at the farm. When things go wrong, however, the youths are the ones who suffer,” Njuki said.
He called on Del Monte management to investigate the alleged dealings and address what he termed inhumane treatment of young people found inside the farm.
Martha Kendi, a resident of Makenji, condemned Kimani’s death, saying the incident had added to a growing list of families left mourning after violent encounters in the area.
She called for greater cooperation between Del Monte and neighbouring communities, including training residents on pineapple farming and creating opportunities for them to supply produce to the company.
Human rights activist and Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid also joined the family at General Kago Funeral Home in Thika and called for investigations into the circumstances surrounding Kimani’s death.
Khalid said the presence of police officers at the hospital where Kimani had been taken had raised concerns within the family and demanded government intervention to ensure that evidence was preserved.
He further questioned the circumstances surrounding the handling of Kimani’s body after the shooting.
Khalid said an initial observation of the body appeared to show an injury consistent with a gunshot wound, but stressed that a postmortem was necessary to establish the exact cause of death.
The activist also called on authorities to establish the identity of the officer who fired the shot and determine whether the use of lethal force was justified.
Kimani’s body remains at General Kago Funeral Home in Thika awaiting a postmortem as the family continues to demand answers over his death.
