A Kisumu mother has emotionally
recounted the pain of her only son being among 159 victims listed in a new
report on extrajudicial killings in Kenya.
Penina Mueni’s 29-year-old son,
Benson Mbithi Ouma, popularly known as Scott, was killed during the
anti-Finance Bill protests on June 25, 2024.
“To date, I am pained, hurt, and
troubled over the killing of my only son, Scott,” Mueni said.
She recalled the day her son, a
matatu tout at Kisumu’s main bus terminus, left for work and never came back.
The incident was highlighted in the latest
Missing Voices report, launched on May 7, 2025,
Missing Voices documented a total of
159 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in 2024.
Out of the 159 cases, 104 (65%) were incidents
of police related killings, while 55 (35%) were those of enforced
disappearances.
2024 marked the year that the
coalition recorded the highest number of cases of enforced disappearance, 38.
On the day of the tragedy, Mueni
received a call at 9:00 p.m. that day informing her Scott had been shot and was
fighting for his life in the ICU at Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and
Referral Hospital.
The next morning, her daughter Faith
visited the hospital only to find he had succumbed to nine gunshot wounds.
“I wanted to hang myself but was
stopped by church members,” Mueni said.
“I never imagined my son could die
in such a cruel manner.”
Scott was laid to rest on July 26,
2024, in Arombo, Nyando Sub-County.
He left behind a wife and a
five-year-old daughter
. Mueni said he was hardworking and
had been building a home he planned to move into in December.
“Now, the 35 bags of cement are just
lying there.”
She said since the killing, she
struggles to be around police officers.
“I cover my face and walk past them
fast. I still can’t believe they pumped nine bullets into Scott’s body.”
According to the Missing Voices
report, June 2024, when Scott was killed, recorded the highest number of
extrajudicial killings at 38, coinciding with the peak of the Gen Z-led
protests. July followed with 11 cases, while February and April each had eight.
Of the victims, 95 were men and nine
women. Youth aged 18–34 made up the majority, with at least 79 confirmed
deaths. Seven were minors and 18 were adults aged 35–50.
The report also revealed that of the
104 killings, 43 cases are under investigation by the Independent Policing
Oversight Authority (IPOA), four suspects have been arrested, and only one
police officer has been arraigned.
No proceedings are ongoing for 50 of
the incidents, and the status of six remains unknown.
Mueni’s plea is simple: justice for
her son and others like him.
“What wrong did my son do to the
police to deserve such a cruel death?” she asked.
Country Director, International Justice Mission Kenya Vincent Chahale said little progress has been made towards ensuring justice for the victims and their families.
“We call for the immediate ratification of the International Convention for the Protection of All Persons from Enforced Disappearance (ICCPED) and the enactment of domestic laws to criminalize enforced disappearances in Kenya,” he said.
