A family in Likoni is calling for justice for their kin who was tragically shot by police in 2021 at the height of the Covid-19 restrictions.
According to his father, Masoud Matano, 17-year-old Matano Masoud met his untimely demise after he was dragged from a building and was shot six times.
The autopsy report retrieved indicated that the form three student suffered bullet wounds to the head, back and chest and died due to haemorrhage.
Matano faulted the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for complacency since the investigations by the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) showed fault on the part of the police, excessive use of force, and unprocedural shelving of the case by the ODPP.
“We immediately contacted IPOA who conducted the investigations at the scene and forwarded the matter to the ODDP. Ever since the case file opened close to six years ago, the ODPP has gone silent, leaving us in grief, confusion and deprived of rightful justice,” said Matano.
Umi Mramba, the mother of the slain boy, said she holds a feeling of desertion by the state agencies responsible for handling such matters.
She added that similar cases to her son’s have been promptly expedited but wonders why her family has been an exception.
“I have seen multiple cases in recent times being worked on and justice served, but my boy’s case seems to have been left out and ignored, leaving us as a family distraught. I am calling on the ODPP to accord me the same justice as other Kenyans elsewhere,” said Mramba.
Coast Social Justice Travelling Theatre Coordinator (CSJTT) and Human rights activist Bradley Ouna added that this was a case of a failure in both fair administrative justice and access to justice.
Ouna said the inaction by the ODPP five years on is a pointer to either interference or blatant disregard of the plight of the family of Matano.
He said through the civil society network they are giving the ODPP a seven-day window to work on the case or risk mounting protests.
“We shall visit the ODPP’s office in seven days if this case is not revived. We will also protest until the family of Matano gets the justice it deserves,” said Ouna.
By Andrew Hinga
