Body of Missing Teen Found After Protests in Kenya
The mother of 17-year-old Sylvester Muigai Ndung'u found his body in a mortuary in Nanyuki, a central Kenyan town, two days after he went missing.
Warning: This article contains details some readers may find upsetting.
Muigai was killed on Tuesday during clashes between police and demonstrators protesting a US plan to build an Ebola quarantine centre at a nearby military base.
Lucy Kagure, his mother, had been searching for her son in hospitals and police stations before discovering his body listed as an unidentified male at the mortuary.
"When I found him, half of his head had been split open. His clothes were soaked in blood,"
she told the BBC.
Details Surrounding the Death
Witnesses reported that Muigai had been shot in the head. However, local police commander Daniel Kitavi stated that authorities were awaiting a post-mortem examination to determine the exact cause of death.
Family members mentioned that police officers suggested the possibility that he may have been killed by a tear-gas canister rather than a bullet.
Kagure explained that her son had left home on Tuesday to collect his school uniform from his aunt when he became caught up in the unrest.
"The police used too much force,"
"Are they not parents too?"
"I have struggled to raise that boy as a single mother, earning just 300 [Kenya] shillings ($2.30; 3.70) a day doing casual work,"
"I brought him up from nursery school to form three, and then they just killed him."
His family described Muigai as a well-behaved boy who was always helping out at home. A local church leader said he had ambitions of becoming a priest.
Context of the Protests
Muigai is the third person to have died amid protests against the planned 50-bed quarantine centre.
The isolation unit at the Laikipia Air Base is intended for US citizens affected by the current Ebola outbreak in the Democratic Republic of Congo.
The plan has raised public concern in Kenya about cross-border infection risks and the government's lack of transparency regarding the treatment centre.
Last month, the High Court ordered a halt to the opening of the facility after a rights group filed a case alleging it posed "grave and imminent risks" to public health.
Despite the court's decision, satellite imagery reviewed by the BBC shows that construction has continued at the airbase.
A US official acknowledged awareness of the court case but expressed optimism about resolving objections.
Government Response and Public Reaction
Kenya's President William Ruto defended the plan, stating he had received a request from the US to establish the centre and that refusal would be "inhuman."
He urged Kenyans not to politicise the Ebola matter and called on politicians to avoid "reckless" comments.
On Tuesday, demonstrators had planned a peaceful march to deliver a petition demanding the facility be relocated. However, clashes erupted after police blocked access to the site.
Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse the crowds, while protesters erected roadblocks and lit bonfires in parts of the town.
The Kenya Human Rights Commission, a non-governmental organisation, accused police of excessive force, including the use of live ammunition and arbitrary arrests during the demonstrations. Authorities have not responded to these allegations.
A Mother's Call for Justice
Lucy Kagure now seeks answers regarding her son's death.
"I want justice for my boy,"
she said.
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