Pain as Rongai Family Learns of Teen Boy’s Death in Protests Through Facebook
- A family in Ongata Rongai is mourning the death of 17-year-old Ian Opango, who was shot dead during the June 25 Gen Z memorial protests
- Ian was missing the entire day before his aunt and guardian, Fatuma Opango, learnt of his death through a community Facebook group
- Fatuma painfully narrated the events leading to the death and discovery of her young nephew
- TUKO.co.ke spoke to a therapist who shed light on the emotional and psychological impacts of losing a child
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A heavy cloud of grief hangs over a family in Ongata Rongai, Kajiado county, following the death of their 17-year-old son, Ian Opango.
Source: Facebook
Ian was shot dead on Wednesday, June 25, during protests held to honour the lives of Gen Zs who died during the 2024 anti-finance bill demonstrations.
How did Ian Opango's family learn of his death?
His guardian and aunt, Fatuma Opango, said Ian had gone missing the whole day. She had been searching for him, only to receive the heartbreaking news of his death through a community Facebook group.
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“I left him at home at 9am and warned him not to join the protests because I know they usually get bad in Rongai. I came home from work at 3.30 pm and he wasn’t in the house. I asked my son where Ian was, and he said he didn’t know where he had gone,” she narrated.
Concerned about Ian’s whereabouts, Fatuma began searching for him in the neighbourhood and was told he had been seen running in the streets.
Having a leg injury, she returned home, hoping the 17-year-old would eventually come back safely.
Source: Facebook
However, by 7pm, Ian had not returned home, leaving his aunt distressed and anxious.
She opened her phone to distract herself and came across Ian’s image on Facebook, accompanied by a caption stating that he had been shot and that anyone who knows him should visit Saitoti Hospital or Kenyatta National Hospital.
“I went to Saitoti Hospital that night, but I was told most of the injured had been taken to Kenyatta National Hospital. I went there early the following day but still couldn’t find him,” she said.
Fatuma then made the devastating decision to search for him at the City Mortuary, where, upon showing his picture, she was told Ian had been brought in at 9pm the previous night.
She shared that Ian was her only brother’s son and had been raised by his single father until she took him under her care.
The grieving woman expressed her anguish, saying that killing the younger generation would leave the older generation without anyone to care for them in their old age.
“They should stop hurting us. They should stop killing young people who are supposed to live long enough to bury their parents. They should allow these children to fight for their rights. I pray for justice,” she said.
What are the psychological impacts of suddenly losing a loved one?
TUKO.co.ke spoke to Jedida Wafula, a Nairobi-based therapist, who shed light on the emotional and psychological impacts of losing a child.
She shared that the sudden death of a loved one comes with intense grief and shock, accompanied by deep sadness and numbness.
Wafula explained that some parents may even fall into depression as a result of the grief.
“They may feel guilty, questioning if they could have prevented the deaths—maybe by being more strict or staying home to ensure their children did not leave for the protests—but generally, grief differs for everyone,” she said.
Nakuru mum mourns Form 4 son killed in protests
In other news, TUKO.co.ke reported that a woman from Molo in Nakuru tearfully spoke about her son’s death while calling for justice.
Jecinta Muthoni said her beloved son, Dennis Njuguna, was shot dead while on a motorbike heading home from school.
The grieving woman pleaded with President Ruto to urge police officers to reduce their brutality and stop using live bullets on innocent Kenyans.
Proofreading by Mercy Nyambura, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
