Kennedy Onyango’s mother, Jacinta Anyango, could not hold back her tears as she painfully recalled the day her 12-year-old son was shot dead and how her life has never been the same since.
Speaking during a special prayer mass at the All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi, on Sunday, June 22, 2025, she described the late Kennedy as a bright, artistic, and hard-working pupil who had stepped out that day to pick up a book only to be killed before his results were ever released.
“Kennedy Onyango was in Class 8 in Ongata Rongai. He was killed while going to collect a book so that he could continue with his studies. He was an artiste. He loved to draw. Kennedy was my thirdborn. He was very active. He was my dream, my life, and my everything,” she said, her voice trembling.
She shared that Kennedy had become a source of hope for their struggling family, especially as she continues to care for two other children living with sickle cell anaemia.
“Even as you go to pray, please pray for me. I have two other children with sickle cell anaemia. I am really struggling with life because that boy was my everything,” she said.
On the day he was killed, she recalled, Kennedy had told her he was finishing up a drawing of a mosque, which he hoped would help them pay rent for the month.
“The day he was killed, he told me, ‘Mum, I am going to finish drawing this mosque, and it will pay this month’s rent.’ I was so happy because for a 12-year-old to say that, it was encouraging,” she remembered.
She said her son had worked hard and had been ranked number one in school, but he never lived to see his results.
“He had drawn so well that he became number one in school. But before the results came out, he was killed.”
Despite the unbearable grief, she said she thanks God for giving her the strength to remain alive through the pain.
Amid tears, she revealed that she nearly died the day news broke of her son’s death, but added that if she survived that day, then she holds on to hope that she will not die because of the pain caused by his shooting.
“I now thank God so much for the strength He has given me. If it were not for Him, I would have died that very day. But through His strength, I am still here,” she said, fighting tears.
She urged the church and the public to pray for grieving parents, saying they suffer in silence while their children are treated as though their lives have no value.
“Please pray for us as parents. We are suffering. If our children are treated like chicken eggs, then how will we be treated? I do not see any leaders standing with us. We are on our own,” Jacinta said.
She also revealed that government official Dennis Itumbi had once called her and promised that the case would be followed up and justice would be served — but nothing has happened since.
“Dennis Itumbi called me and told me the matter would be followed up and I would get justice — but still, nothing.”
Special mass
The grief-stricken mother was among a trove of other parents who attended a special mass at the All Saints’ Cathedral in Nairobi, which was hosted in honour of the victims of last year’s nationwide protests.
The solemn gathering drew prominent opposition figures, including Wiper Party leader Kalonzo Musyoka, former Chief Justice David Maraga, and DAP-K party leader Eugene Wamalwa.
The leaders donned white shirts and tied the national flag around their shoulders as a sign of peace, remembrance, and unity.
“I’ve joined the faithful together with Chief Justice Emeritus David Maraga and DAP K Party Leader Eugene Wamalwa for an Interdenominational Prayer Service at the All Saints Cathedral, Nairobi,” Kalonzo wrote via his official X account.
The service was organised in collaboration with the National Council of Churches of Kenya (NCCK), the Evangelical Alliance of Kenya (EAK), and the Kenya Christian Professionals Forum (KCPF).
Held under the hashtag #LestWeForgetJune25, the event featured scripture readings, moments of silence, and calls for national unity and justice following the deadly protests that rocked the country last year.
The demonstrations, which erupted over the contentious Finance Bill 2024, led to multiple fatalities and widespread injuries as youth-led protests were met with heavy police force.
