Mother spends night with son's body after police tried to 'cover' death

 Ann Nyawira, mother of Brian Kimutai, addresses journalists at the Kitengela sub county mortuary on Tuesday. [Peterson Githaiga,Standard]

A grieving mother has recounted the harrowing ordeal of spending the night with her son’s body after he was shot dead by police in Kitengela.

In a deeply emotional account, Ann Nyawira described how the family was forced to carry Brian Kimutai’s body from the hospital back to their home, fearing it might be tampered with if left in police custody.

“We had a hard time with the police after they shot him because they wanted to collect it and we feared they could interfere with it. We had to run away with his body. We had no choice but to bring him home and watch over him ourselves,” she narrated on Tuesday.

She went on to explain the ordeal they faced at the police station, stating that officers were reluctant to let them report the incident.

“They told us they were tired and that we should go back on Tuesday. But the officer kept calling, asking where the body was,” Nyawira said.

The buzz of protest drew 21-year-old Kimutai out of the house that Monday afternoon in Kitengela. Not as a rioter, but as a curious youth hoping to witness a moment that felt historic.

What began as a spark of youthful excitement ended in bloodshed. As chaos unfolded in the streets, Kimutai was cornered by police officers.

According to his mother and friends, one officer—allegedly harbouring a personal grudge—fired two shots at the unarmed young man, killing him instantly.

With his hands raised in surrender, Kimutai was executed in cold blood—another life silenced in a growing wave of police brutality.

“We were hiding behind a poster and Brian was trying to peek. When we realised police had seen us, Brian lifted his hands to surrender but the officer shot him on the shoulder, before shooting him on the neck,” recounted Edwin Odhiambo, a friend.

“The first shot didn’t kill him. Brian raised his hands surrendering, but he was shot a second time, and he fell,” Odhiambo added.

The body 21 year old Brian Kimtai who was fatally shot by police during Saba Saba protests at Kitengela sub county mogue. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Victor Owino, another childhood friend who was with Kimutai, explained that Kimutai had surrendered before the fatal shot.

“It was so fast. We heard gunshots, then we saw Brian lying down. We rushed to help him, but the police officer who shot him was coming toward us, so we ran for our lives. We are all sad. We just want justice for our brother,” he said.

“I have not been able to sleep after seeing my friend in a pool of blood,” Owino said.

Kimutai is among the 19 people killed by police officers during the countrywide Saba Saba protests on Monday, 7 July.

At his home, friends and family gathered to mourn. They have remained there since morning, consoling one another for the tragic loss of a young man whose life was cut short by those meant to protect him.

His mother claimed that the officer who killed her son is well known to the family and that they had an ongoing dispute over a motorbike.

Her son was shot just a few metres from their house, along Kitengela Prison Road.

“I was with Brian in the morning. He told me he was not ready to go out for the protests—he was neither a looter nor a protestor,” she said.

According to witnesses, she added, the officers marched towards Kimutai. He knelt, raised his hands in surrender, but was sprayed with bullets by the same officer.

The family is now demanding justice, calling for accountability for the killing of their son.

Human rights activists have stepped in, urging an immediate investigation into the incident. They are calling for the arrest and interdiction of the officer involved, as well as a broader probe into the use of force during the peaceful protests.

Friends mourned Kimutai as a talented and hardworking painter.

“We were painters, that’s what we do for upkeep. He was such a good person,” said Owino.