Activists issue 7-day ultimatum to IPOA over probe into teen's killing

Dennis Ringa who was shot dead by a police officer on New Year’s eve at Utange in Mombasa. [Omondi Onyango, Standard]

Human rights activists have issued a seven-day ultimatum to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) to publicly account for progress made in investigations into the fatal shooting of a 14-year-old boy in Mombasa on New Year’s Eve.

Denis Ringa, a Grade Six pupil, was shot dead on the night of December 31, 2025, in Utange.

Speaking during the deceased's burial in Tezo, Kilifi County, over the weekend, human rights activists warned that if no arrest is made in connection with the incident within a week, they will stage a sit-in outside Ipoa offices, insisting that those responsible for the killing must be held accountable.

The activists said the lack of arrests weeks after the incident had deepened the family’s pain and eroded public confidence in accountability mechanisms meant to oversight the police.

Muslims for Human Rights (Muhuri) Rapid Response officer Francis Auma said they will take action if Ipoa fails to provide a detailed report and arrest the suspects.

''We are giving them a seven-day ultimatum starting today; if we do not see the arrest of the police who shot the boy, we will occupy the Ipoa officers together with the family of the deceased,'' said Auma.

A postmortem examination revealed that Ringa was shot from behind, with the bullet entering through his back and exiting through his chest.

Auma said that the report raises serious questions about the use of excessive force on a child.

"They have the postmortem report and witness statements. What we are seeing instead is silence,” he said. 

Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khaled said murder investigations in the coastal counties take long, and they are not given priority, unlike other parts of the country.

"These investigations must be treated with the utmost respect it deserves. Murder cases in the coast region take much more investigation time than in other parts of the country," he said.

He argued that delays in investigations and prosecutions have contributed to a culture of impunity.

According to family members and witnesses, the deceased was outside with other children, lighting fireworks as residents ushered in the New Year.

Nancy Kwekwe, mother of the deceased, described her son as a quiet child who enjoyed school and playing with friends.

Kwekwe has called for justice, saying no explanation has been given as to why his son was shot during what she described as a peaceful celebration.

"I'm appealing to the government to take action and arrest the person who killed my son. I'm in so much pain. No progress has been made on the arrest up to now,” she said.

Another family is also demanding justice for their son who was shot dead by the police in the Mephi area in Kilifi North sub-county during a bodaboda demonstration in October 2025.

Dodzweit Muyesi Vangu was allegedly shot in the chest by the police while riding his bicycle back to work after having lunch at his house, during protests in the area.

Gladys Zawadi, the deceased’s wife, said they have not received any update on the investigations.

"Up to now we don't know which police officer killed my husband. There is no action which has been taken; when we asked Ipoa, they did not provide us with a tangible explanation," she said.

Ipoa said it was conducting investigations into the incidents, however, there has been no update on the same.