The family of youth mobilizer Cecil Otieno Ouma is demanding justice following his fatal shooting in Nairobi, an incident that has placed Youth Affairs and Creative Economy Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs and his security team under intense public scrutiny.
Investigators have already questioned several people linked to the incident as police work to establish exactly what transpired moments before Ouma was shot.
The incident happened on Tuesday, June 30, along Park Road shortly after the event.
Ouma was shot inside a vehicle linked to the principal secretary.
He was later rushed to Park Road Nursing Home but succumbed to his injuries.
Conflicting Accounts Emerge on Cecil Ouma’s Shooting
According to Ouma’s family, he had been contracted to mobilize youths to attend the government event.
After the program ended, a disagreement reportedly arose over money that had been given to facilitate the youths.
Ouma’s brother, Jeff Otieno, said that his brother had been given KSh10,000 by the principal secretary to share among the youths he had mobilized.
However, the group reportedly felt the money was too little and asked Ouma to return it to the PS rather than distribute it.
“He was given KSh10,000 by the PS. He told the guys who were waiting for the money that he only had KSh10,000 and did not know how it would be shared. The guys said it was too little and asked him to return the money,” Otieno said.
According to the family, Ouma then approached the PS’s vehicle shortly before the shooting occurred.
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Questions remain over what transpired after Ouma returned to the vehicle.
Witnesses quoted in various reports say a confrontation broke out, with some youths moving closer to the vehicle after sensing that something was wrong.
Moments later, Ouma was allegedly found with gunshot wounds and was rushed to hospital.
He was taken to Park Road Nursing Home but was pronounced dead.
Family members believe excessive force was used and have called for a thorough investigation into the incident.
Police are also examining claims made by security officers attached to the principal secretary.
Preliminary findings cited by investigators suggest Ouma may have caused a disturbance inside the vehicle, allegedly attempting to grab the steering wheel before later trying to seize a firearm from one of the officers.
The family insists that those responsible must be held accountable and says the Directorate of Criminal Investigations should leave no stone unturned in establishing what happened inside the vehicle.
Authorities are working to verify those claims.
Fikirini’s Bodyguards Questioned
The investigation gathered pace on Wednesday, July 1, when seven people recorded statements with police.
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Those questioned included two bodyguards attached to PS Fikirini Jacobs, a director in the State Department for Youth Affairs who was reportedly inside the vehicle during the incident, as well as several witnesses.
The two bodyguards have since been disarmed as investigators carry out ballistic examinations on their firearms to establish who fired the fatal shots.
The police are also relying on witness statements and other forensic evidence as they reconstruct the incident.
The bodyguards initially reported that they fired warning shots into the air after a group of youths allegedly surrounded the vehicle.
However, questions have emerged over the circumstances under which Ouma sustained the gunshot wounds that ultimately led to his death.
The shooting has attracted national attention, with leaders and rights advocates calling for an impartial investigation.
Ouma’s body has been taken to Chiromo Mortuary, where a post-mortem examination is expected to be conducted to help construct what happened in the PS’s car.
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