1 killed after angry crowd set fire to police station in Kenya to protest fatal shooting of teen by cops

Andrew Wasike

NAIROBI, Kenya (AA) - One person was killed in vandalism and clashes with police in the Kenyan capital Nairobi following an angry crowd setting fire to a police station and two law enforcement vehicles to protest the killing of a 17-year-old boy by police in the Shauri Moyo neighborhood on Wednesday morning.

Shauri Moyo, about 3 kilometers southeast of Nairobi's central business district, became a flashpoint as Majengo and Pumwani residents protested the incident.

According to police reports, 17-year-old Ibrahim Ramadhan Chege was shot during a confrontation between officers and a group of youths in Majengo.

Authorities claim that the officers were conducting an operation targeting suspected criminals when they encountered resistance, and when tensions rose, live fire was used, killing Chege.

Witnesses and family members dispute this account, claiming that Chege was unarmed and not engaged in any criminal activity.

Khadija Ramadhan, the mother of the slain 17-year-old Ibrahim Ramadhan Chege, told Anadolu that she wanted justice for her son, whom she described as a bright and hardworking student.

"My son was not a criminal. He had dreams, and now they have taken him away from her," she said. "I want the perpetrators to be held accountable. We need justice."

Rights groups also confirmed that another civilian was killed during Wednesday's unrest as enraged youths engaged in running battles with law enforcement, bringing the total to two deaths.

In a statement, activists said the victim's body had been transported to the city mortuary.

“We have confirmed that the body of Dennis Muthui has been brought to the city mortuary. He was shot in the torso this morning and died on the spot,” Hussein Khalid, a lawyer and human rights activist who is the director of Vocal Africa, said in a statement.

In a separate statement, Nairobi police commander George Sedah acknowledged the gravity of the situation and announced that investigations are underway.

He added that officers used tear gas to disperse the crowds as protesters set bonfires on the roads, disrupting traffic and confronting law enforcement.