Joseph Mwangi Mathenge, a peanut vendor from Majengo Estate, reportedly lost his life on Monday, May 25, while attempting to protect his employer’s business from possible looting during demonstrations that rocked Nyeri town.
According to witnesses, the protests quickly turned violent as anti-riot police officers clashed with groups of demonstrators protesting the high cost of fuel and living expenses across the country.
Amid the chaos, Mwangi is said to have remained at his workstation instead of joining the protests.
His devastated mother, Ruth Wangari, painfully recounted the moment she learned about her son’s death.
Fighting back tears, she demanded justice and questioned why authorities allegedly denied responsibility for the shooting.
“I do not want stories or excuses. I only want to know why they killed my son,” she said emotionally.
Wangari claimed she saw what appeared to be a gunshot wound on her son’s head while viewing his body at the mortuary, but she was allegedly given conflicting explanations about the injury.
Witnesses at the scene insisted Mwangi was innocent and was not among those causing chaos in the streets.
“He was standing by the roadside protecting the business. He was not throwing stones or protesting. Police allegedly shot him in the head and left him bleeding,” claimed one witness.
Neighbours also described Mwangi as a hardworking and peaceful young man who struggled daily to earn an honest living through selling peanuts.
The tragic incident has sparked fresh outrage online, with many Kenyans demanding investigations into police conduct during the fuel price demonstrations and calling for accountability over the young vendor’s death.
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