Tension boiled over in Kakamega after a group of youths stormed the home of 22-year-old Derrick Machanje, seizing his body amid protests over his death after he was reportedly shot during anti-fuel price demonstrations.

🇰🇪 Breaking It Down

The incident occurred on Friday, May 29, after Machanje’s body was removed from Kakamega Mortuary around 2am the previous day under heavy security in preparation for burial, a move that angered youths and sparked the unrest.

Viral footage obtained by Kenyans.co.ke showed a procession of boda boda and tuk-tuks riders racing down a the streets of Kakamega town while closely following a motorcycle carrying Machanje’s coffin.

Businesses in Kakamega town were closed as chaos erupted over the student’s death and residents held a procession ahead of his burial in Shinyalu.

📌 What You Need to Know

Machanje, also known as “Mwala,” was a second-year mechanical engineering student at Sigalagala National Polytechnic and worked part-time as a tuk-tuk driver to support his studies. Reports indicate that the crowd that fled with his body mainly comprised fellow students and tuk-tuk operators.

According to reports, Machanje was shot in the head and died during demonstrations on May 18 after police allegedly opened fire.

His family said they first learned of his death through social media posts before being directed to the mortuary, after initially searching for him at Kakamega County Referral Hospital.

They further alleged that, based on the condition of the body, authorities had performed a procedure to remove a bullet and stitched the wound without informing or seeking consent from relatives.

The family has demanded justice, urging the government to provide clear explanations and take responsibility for what they describe as an avoidable loss of life.

Kakamega residents have also expressed anger over the incident, calling for accountability over both the killing and the handling of protest-related deaths .

📰 Source: Kenyans.co.ke