According to accounts by various sources, including relatives, the death of Stephen Machurusi was probably a case of extra-judicial killing by a trigger happy police officer.
Machurusi met his untimely death during the day-long demonstrations held by residents along the Kasarani-Mwiki road over its poor state.
TThe residents joined a protest following a three-day strike by matatu operators of the dilapidated state of the stretch.
Machurusi is said to have tripped and fell while escaping from the anti-riot officers who were charging towards a crowd.
“He fell down as people were escaping and despite surrendering, he was shot on his chest,” according to an observer who elected to remain anonymous.
The trigger happy cop involved in the incident was, according to the sources, clad in civilian clothes. The said officer is based at the Sunton police post.
While the majority of those interviewed only gave a physical description of the officer, others simply identified him as “Baite.”
Machurusi’s family insists that their son was not part of the protesting youths. They say he was headed to Garden City when the grim reaper, through a rogue cop, struck. The young boy was working at Garden City prior to joining university, later this year.
Machurusi was the only son in his family.
His sister wondered how Machurusi could be so courageous enough to participate in the protests yet he had only joined in Nairobi the previous month.
Police left Machurusi lying in a pool of blood, which was oozing from his back.
