Baby Pendo, Moraa unite mourners in justice call

Family members stand by the coffin bearing the remains of Baby Samantha Pendo during a mass at St. Joseph Catholic church in Kisumu on August 25,2017. (Photo: Denish Ochieng/ Standard)

Six-month-old baby Samantha Pendo and nine-year-old Stephanie Moraa have become the face of police brutality meted upon Kenyans following the announcement of the presidential election results on August 11.

Coincidentally, on Friday family and friends gathered for a memorial for Pendo at St Joseph Catholic Church in Kisumu while on the other corner of the country mourners laid to rest Moraa at her father’s home in Kisii. In both ceremonies the rallying call from mourners was one — justice. The mood was similar. The pain was raw. The anger was real. While baby Pendo was clobbered by police during the riots that broke out over the disputed presidential election results, Moraa, a Standard Four pupil at Mathare Primary School was killed in the violence that rocked Mathare after the announcement of the presidential election results.