Families Demand Justice After Two Young Men Die in Nairobi Rally Clashes

Two Nairobi families are calling for investigations and justice after their loved ones died following clashes during the Linda Mwananchi rally.

Joseph Shikuku, 23, and Brandon Ong'or, 19, were reportedly assaulted by unknown individuals as they made their way to the rally. Their families say the attacks were unprovoked, while friends who were with the two men have provided accounts of the incidents.

Both men were later booked at Nairobi Funeral Home as victims of mob justice.

Friend Describes Attack Near Donholm

Evans Okoth, who was with Shikuku and Ong'or, said the trouble began as they travelled from Donholm towards the rally along Jogoo Road.

According to Okoth, the group encountered a confrontation near the Caltex Donholm flyover.

He said he was pulled away and attacked with clubs and kicks before being rescued by a matatu crew.

Okoth also said he was confronted by a man carrying a panga during the incident.

He later learned that Shikuku had died during the confrontation.

Okoth said Shikuku had been travelling on the same motorcycle with him when the attack began, describing how the motorcycle rider managed to escape while the two passengers were left behind.

Family Questions Circumstances of Shikuku's Death

Shikuku's sister, Mercy Awino, said the family was not satisfied with the account that her brother had died after jumping from a bridge.

She questioned whether the injuries observed on his body were consistent with such an explanation.

"We don't know how it happened," Awino said, adding that the family had been told that people carrying pangas and clubs were involved in the incident.

She said the family wanted clarity on what happened to Shikuku and how he sustained the injuries that led to his death.

The circumstances surrounding his death have not been independently established.

Family Mourns 19-Year-Old Brandon

The family of 19-year-old Brandon Ong'or is also demanding answers following his death.

His mother, Hellen Ong'or, said Brandon had left home intending to attend the rally but never returned.

She later went to Nairobi Funeral Home, where she identified his body.

The grieving mother described her son as a peaceful young man who was not known for getting into trouble.

She said Brandon had been preparing to join college and had his future ahead of him.

"Fighting there... took my child from me," she said.

Three Bodies Reportedly Booked as Mob Justice Victims

Sources at Nairobi Funeral Home confirmed that three bodies described as victims of mob justice were brought to the facility following Sunday's rally.

The deaths have raised concerns about the safety of people attending or travelling to and from political gatherings in the capital.

The families of Shikuku and Ong'or are calling for authorities to establish exactly what happened, identify those responsible and ensure that anyone found culpable faces the law.

The accounts provided by witnesses and relatives have not yet been independently verified, and investigations will be necessary to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths.

As the families mourn, they are seeking answers over how two young men who left home to attend a public rally ended up dead.