Family wants decent burial for schoolboy killed in Pipeline

Mr Peter Mutuku, the father of the seven-year-old boy who was shot dead while playing in Nairobi’s Pipeline estate, says he is not interested in the rigorous process of trying to identify his son’s killer, for the time being.

He feels that organising for his son’s burial and giving him a decent send-off is more urgent at the moment.

“After that I can pursue the progress of investigations. Nikifuata yote mbili pamoja, nitapoteza, (If I pursue both at the same time, I will lose out),” he said.

POSTMORTEM

In the meantime, he also expects police to continue with investigations and talk to those who saw the killer.

“For now we are meeting at Miami Makuti on Outer Ring road for the funeral arrangements. I've also talked to a doctor who will represent the family during the postmortem at City Mortuary,” Mr Mutuku told the Nation on Thursday.

Depending on the availability of his doctor, he expects the postmortem to be carried out either today (Friday) or on Monday.

The young boy, Geoffrey Mutinda, was shot in the head as he played with his friends on a balcony at home when police clashed with supporters of Raila Odinga on Tuesday.

He died on the spot.

POLICE POST

Residents said he was shot by men they said were Administration Police officers from a nearby post.

They were riding a motorcycle and were not in uniform but were known to locals, residents said.

However, the National Police Service has distanced itself from the shooting to death of the boy.

Nairobi County Police Commander Japhet Koome, in a statement sent to newsrooms on Wednesday, said there was a possibility that the child was shot by criminals.

Mr Koome said, there is no police camp in Embakasi area known as Tassia AP Camp as reported by a section of the media.