Three young men, five gunshot wounds and a devastating autopsy report
Austin Onyisa's mother during the post mortem procedure of her son on July 2, 2024.
Confusion, anger, and pain have engulfed the families of Austin Onyisa, Michael Kihuga, and Kelvin Kagoni over the past week.
These young men were shot to death by police officers during the peaceful #RejectFinanceBill protests on June 25th, 2024, in Nakuru.
As we stand, while others sit on the limited available seats at the morgue at the Nakuru Referral and Teaching Hospital (PGH), waiting for the results of their post mortems, family and friends talk about their loved ones in the past tense as they recall their last times together.
Dr. Magare Gikenyi, a Consultant Trauma and General Surgeon in Nakuru, has revealed that the three died as a result of excessive bleeding due to gunshot wounds.
Dr. Magare Gikenyi, a Consultant Trauma and General Surgeon during a press conference on July 2, 2024.
“The autopsy results for the three victims showed they died of excessive bleeding from being shot with a sharp object.”
He spoke after witnessing an autopsy of the bodies of the victims conducted by Dr. Titus Ngulungu, a government pathologist.
“17-year-old Austin died from excessive blood loss due to a bullet wound behind his right knee- entered from above the knee and came out from the other side of the leg- that nicked a major blood vessel,” notes Dr. Gikenyi.
Dr. Gikenyi further confirms that Michael, 28, died from excessive bleeding and internal organ damage caused by three gunshot wounds: one to his stomach that exited through his back, another that grazed his ribs, and a third that penetrated his lower abdomen, severely damaging internal organs.
Michael Kihuga's mother during the post mortem procedure of her son on July 2, 2024.
On the other hand, Kelvin, 25, succumbed to a severe head injury and excessive bleeding. The injury was caused by a single gunshot wound that entered through the lower side of his jaw and travelled upward to his forehead.
David Kuria, a renowned human rights defender of Nakuru- despite being vocal on hesitant action by the government to the victims’ families- called for the government to take responsibility and bring to book those accountable for the killings.
“We want the government to be responsible to make sure that they compensate the families and ask for justice to be done to the victims, ensuring that action is taken against those accountable for the shooting of innocent protestors,” he says.
David Karani, a human rights defender and Chairperson of the Association of Parents of Children with Special Needs, strongly condemns the use of excessive force by authorities on persons living with disability, noting that they are part of the community and must not be left behind when everyone is being evacuated to safety.