Mombasa family demands justice for son killed in police shooting

The family of 14-year-old Dennis Ringa has called for the immediate arrest of the police officer implicated in the killing. A postmortem report indicates he was shot from behind.

The from Coast General Teaching and Referral Hospital confirmed the Grade 6 pupil was shot from the rear, with the bullet entering through the left shoulder and exiting from the front.

The bullet fractured the left shoulder and adjacent bones, causing extensive damage to major blood vessels that resulted in injuries that turned fatal.

The findings have intensified calls for accountability, with family members and human rights activists terming the shooting unjustified and unprovoked.

Ringa was shot dead in the early hours of January 1 in Utange area of Bamburi as residents ushered in the New Year.

Witnesses and family members said the tragedy occurred at around midnight while the boy, the third-born in his family, was in the company of five friends within a residential area.

Speaking outside the hospital mortuary after the postmortem, his mother Nancy Kwekwe said she was in deep pain over her son's death.

“My son was murdered without any justification. He was shot from the rear and the bullet emerged from the front. He wasn't a criminal, he wasn't involved in drugs. In fact, he was a hardworking young man. He was my hope," she said.

Kwekwe appealed to the authorities to ensure those responsible are arrested and prosecuted swiftly. “I need help because I am in deep, deep pain. I want all those involved in his killing to be arrested and prosecuted quickly.”

Ringa’s stepfather Michael Charo said the family was grateful to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority for supporting them but urged the agency to remain vigilant throughout the justice process.

“We are here because the police killed Dennis by shooting him. We don't want this case to take long. We want all those who were involved in his death to be arrested and prosecuted,” he said.

Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid, who witnessed the postmortem, said the findings confirmed the boy posed no threat to anyone when he was killed.

“The postmortem has confirmed that he was shot from the rear, meaning he wasn't a threat to anyone. The one who killed him did so without any justification,” Khalid said.

He added that evidence from the postmortem was critical and should expedite the arrest of the suspects. “There's no more reason for the police to delay in arresting the suspects who were involved in this act. We want to see them quickly arrested and prosecuted in accordance with the law. Our youth today fear for their lives from the same individuals who are supposed to protect them.”

Ipoa has taken written statements from police officers regarding the matter and has sought reports from the Officer Commanding Station and the deputy OCS.

“Evidence from that police station has already been collected and what's remaining now is for those police officers involved to be arrested,” Khalid said.

Vocal Africa rapid response officer Walid Sketi said any police officer who shoots innocent civilians is not fit to wear the police uniform.

“We have been with this family since January 1, the day their son Dennis Ringa was shot dead by a police officer. It was just one bullet that pierced his body from the back and emerged from the front, showing that, clearly, he was trying to flee. It is clear that he had no intention of hurting that police officer,” Sketi said.