The family of 17-year-old Ian Opango has revealed details about his final moments before he was fatally shot during the June 25, 2025 protests in Onagata Rongai.
Speaking in a media interview on Sunday, June 29, 2025, Ian’s aunt, Fatuma Opanga, recalled that Ian was at home in the morning when she left for work at 9 a.m.
She had warned him not to join the protests due to their tendency to turn violent in Rongai. However, when she returned home at around 3:30 p.m., Ian was nowhere to be found.
“He was shot at that spot and left there. It was his fellow youths who picked him up as they continued marching with him. When they got to a place near Nyutu, that’s when the police intervened and started chasing them away,” his aunt recounted.
Family of Ian Opango Demands Justice
Witnesses later reported seeing Ian running in the streets during the protests. He was shot, with the bullet entering just below his right eye and exiting through the back of his head.
Fellow protesters reportedly carried his body as they marched, but police eventually dispersed the group and took Ian’s body to the Ongata Rongai Police Station.
Ian’s father, James Opango, is now demanding justice for his son.
“The postmortem may be conducted on Wednesday. After that, transporting the body home might be a challenge, and the mortuary fees are also a burden,” he lamented.
Also Read: Matiang’i Warns Ruto on Handling Gen Z Protests
Ian will be laid to rest at his father’s home in Shianda, Mumias, in Kakamega County.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) released a report detailing the events of the June 25, 2025 protests, held to mark the first anniversary of the 2024 Gen-Z demonstrations.
According to the report, 19 people lost their lives during the protests. Additionally, 531 individuals, including protesters, police officers, and journalists, sustained injuries.
The report also documented the arrest of 179 people across 23 counties and noted 15 cases of enforced disappearances. There were also disturbing reports of sexual violence, including two cases of individual rape, two gang rapes, and one attempted gang rape.
Ruto Vows to Take Action Against Protestors Who Caused Chaos
President William Ruto, while addressing the International MSMEs Day celebrations in Nairobi on June 27, 2025, condemned the protests as acts of “calculated chaos, violence, destruction, and economic sabotage” rather than peaceful demonstrations.
He accused political actors of exploiting the frustrations of the youth for personal political gain and vowed to hold those responsible accountable.
Also Read: 7 People Who Stole Guns During Gen Z Protests Arrested
The President directed the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to conduct swift and thorough investigations, stating that Kenya is a country governed by the rule of law and that such lawlessness would not be tolerated.
However, several religious and political leaders have urged the Head of State to listen to the youth rather than respond with brutality.
Former Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i stated, “What we are seeing in our country right now is a challenge where we are contesting the voices of our children—when, in fact, it should be natural that when our children speak to us, we listen.”
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