Killed children’s kin await word from State

Mr George Mokaya hates to see his daughter’s friends and has begun fearing crowds. He has moved houses to avoid seeing the bullet hole on the wall.

The escapist tactics, however, are not working. He is usually woken up by his wife’s sobs every night.

Since August 12 when his daughter Stephanie Moraa was shot dead, the family has received no communication from the government.

Mr Mokaya and his wife have not had any counselling or compensation.

BALCONY

“Life has been hard. My wife no longer attends to her business and I have to take her for treatment after she developed ulcers,” Mr Mokaya said.

The casual labourer, currently in his rural home in Manga Isecha village, said he moved his family to Kisii County before the October 26 presidential election rerun protect them from harm.

“I have become overprotective to my wife and the remaining child,” Mr Mokaya said, expressing optimism that President Uhuru Kenyatta would assist the family.

Mr Mokaya said his family had not been updated on the progress of the investigations into the killing of his nine-year-old daughter.

Mathare North 2 residents say the girl, who was on the third floor balcony of house, was killed by police officers.

RIOTS

A post-mortem examination on the body showed that Moraa was hit by a high-calibre bullet.

In Kisumu, six-month-old Samantha Pendo died just three days after Moraa’s death.

Police officers sent to quell riots were accused of hitting the baby on the head with a club, fracturing her skull.

And like Moraa’s family, Pendo’s father Joseph Abanja says he has not received compensation or counselling from the government.

“Only human rights organisations visit us. We have not had any talks with the police. They only came once to interrogate us on the circumstances that led to the baby’s death,” the boda boda said.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority on Thursday said it had moved to court to register Moraa’s case for a public inquest.

INQUEST

This is after Director of Public Prosecutions Keriako Tobiko ordered an inquest.

The DPP recommended that action be taken against four Kisumu police commanders who were in charge of the operations.

They are Kisumu Police Commander Titus Yoma, Kisumu East OCPD Chrisopher Mutune, Kisumu Central Administration Police Commander Benjamin Koima and Kisumu Central OCS John Thiringi.

The Nation has learnt that police officers recommended for punishment were still in office.

“We expect the court to fix a date for the inquest so that hearing begins,” Ipoa head of communications and outreach, Dennis Oketch said.

Ipoa also said it had launched investigations into the killing of seven-year-old Geoffrey Mutinda in Pipeline estate on Tuesday. Residents insist he was killed by police officers.