Tension gripped Kakamega County on Friday after a group of youths stormed the home of 22-year-old Derrick Machanje and seized his body in protest over circumstances surrounding his death during anti-fuel price demonstrations.
The dramatic incident unfolded after Machanje’s body was reportedly removed from Kakamega Mortuary at around 2am on Thursday under heavy security arrangements in preparation for burial.
The move sparked outrage among local youths, students, and residents who accused authorities of attempting to quietly lay the slain student to rest without adequately addressing questions surrounding his death.
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Videos circulating on social media showed a large procession of boda boda riders and tuk-tuk operators moving through the streets of Kakamega town while escorting a motorcycle carrying Machanje’s coffin.
The emotional procession brought sections of the town to a standstill as residents joined calls for justice.
Several businesses in Kakamega town remained closed as tensions escalated, with protesters taking to the streets ahead of the student’s planned burial in Shinyalu Sub-county.
Machanje, popularly known as “Mwala,” was a second-year Mechanical Engineering student at Sigalagala National Polytechnic. Besides his studies, he worked as a tuk-tuk driver to support himself financially.
Reports indicate that many of those who participated in the procession and subsequent protests were fellow students from Sigalagala National Polytechnic as well as members of the local tuk-tuk operators’ community.
According to accounts from family members and residents, Machanje was allegedly shot in the head during demonstrations on May 18 after police reportedly opened fire on protesters.
His family says they only learned of his death through social media reports before eventually being directed to Kakamega Mortuary after unsuccessfully searching for him at Kakamega County Referral Hospital.
The family has also raised concerns about the handling of his body, alleging that authorities removed a bullet and stitched the wound without informing or seeking consent from relatives.
Speaking amid the growing unrest, family members demanded justice for the slain student and called on the government to provide a clear account of the events that led to his death.
“We want answers and accountability. This was a young man with a future ahead of him, and the family deserves to know exactly what happened,” one relative said.
The incident has sparked widespread anger among Kakamega residents, many of whom have questioned the handling of protest-related deaths and called for independent investigations into the circumstances surrounding Machanje’s killing.
The case comes against the backdrop of nationwide demonstrations over rising fuel prices that rocked several parts of the country last week.
The protests disrupted transport services and, according to reports, left at least 17 people dead and several others injured.
Human rights groups and civil society organizations have since renewed calls for accountability and transparency regarding fatalities linked to the demonstrations, with growing pressure on authorities to investigate allegations of excessive use of force by security agencies.
As investigations continue, the death of Derrick Machanje has become a symbol of the growing public frustration over protest-related deaths and demands for justice from affected families.