The planned burial of 21-year-old Peter Macharia, a young man from Njogu-ini village in Kagumo, Kirinyaga Central, was abruptly cancelled on Thursday due to the failure of a government pathologist to appear for a mandatory postmortem.
Macharia was fatally shot on July 7 during the Saba Saba protests, allegedly by a police officer while picking tea near his home. He was first taken to a nearby dispensary, then transferred to Kerugoya Level Five Hospital, where he succumbed to gunshot wounds.
The family, already grappling with grief, was left devastated by the last-minute cancellation. According to family spokesperson Hezekiah Kang’ethe, mourners had been mobilized, food prepared, and burial plans finalized. “We were fully prepared for Peter’s burial tomorrow. This cancellation has caused immense emotional and logistical distress,” he said outside the Kerugoya County Referral Hospital Mortuary.
Mutira Ward MCA David Kinyua Wangui, a relative of the deceased, criticized the government for what he termed as negligence. “All preparations were in place the grave was dug last night, and now everything has gone to waste. This is a huge disappointment to the family,” Wangui stated.
Peter’s mother, Margaret Wainoi, voiced her heartbreak. “Local women’s welfare groups had cooked food. People were coming from far. Now we are left wondering whether we will have to keep the grave open for days,” she said tearfully.
The postmortem is a legal requirement for victims of police shootings, and its absence has delayed not only the burial but also justice for the family.
Kirinyaga Nominated MCA Bosco Gichangi joined calls for accountability. “This was an unarmed youth simply going about his work. We demand that the officer responsible be identified, arrested, and charged,” he asserted.
The delay underscores growing public frustration over how the government is handling incidents linked to the recent anti-government protests. As the family waits for closure, their pain serves as a stark reminder of the human cost behind the push for accountability and justice in Kenya.
