NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 5 – Oscar Foundation Director Kamau King’ara has been shot dead on Mamlaka road, near the University of Nairobi.
Mr Kingara, whose Foundation is a human rights group that organised Thursday’s mass protests, was shot dead at about 6.30pm alongside another man, as they drove towards the city centre.
Rioting students briefly blocked police from taking the body to the mortuary and motorists on that road were told to tread carefully.
Shortly before his death, Mr Kingara had had an exclusive interview with Capital Newsbeat, where he said he had no regrets over the transport hitch experienced due to the protests.
Mr King’ara admitted that he had mobilised the families of more than 1,000 suspected Mungiki sect members allegedly killed by the police, to participate in the protests.
“Hundreds of families have been suffering. Many of them lost their relatives to police bullets while others were killed by the police in unclear circumstances. That is why we organised these demonstrations,” he had said and threatened to sue Government Spokesman Dr Alfred Mutua for linking him to the outlawed group.
In a press conference on Thursday, Dr Mutua had told reporters that Oscar Foundation had been identified as one of the organisations funding activities of the outlawed grouping and announced it would be deregistered.
“I have heard about the accusations made in a press conference by Dr Mutua and I am going to engage a lawyer to take up the matter. This time he will not get away with it,” he said.
The Kenya National Youth Alliance (KENYA), a political wing of Mungiki denied it was involved in organising the protests but admitted its members were in support of the protests’ cause.
“We did not organise the protests but as a party, we fully support Oscar Foundation because they are fighting for the rights of the people,” the party’s Spokesman Njuguna Gitau said.
Students at the scene of the killing said the other man murdered alongside Mr King’ara was a third year student at the University who had been on suspension.
Kilimani OCPD Fransio Nyamatari who visited the scene briefly declined to comment on the matter.
Students however claimed that a passer-by was also hit by a stray bullet, and was rushed to hospital. They said that the two vehicles blocked Mr King’ara car before gunshots were heard.
