The family of Dennis Lubanga, aged 36, who allegedly died from a police gunshot in Mjini estate, Kibwezi, Makueni County on Tuesday, is now seeking justice for their loved one.
In Mudembi village, Nambale, Busia County, grief weighs heavily upon Lubanga's home as relatives and friends gather to mourn his passing. According to his family, Lubanga, a father of five, was not involved in any anti-government protests; he was standing at a shop when police reportedly approached and shot him at close range. They emphasize that moments before his tragic death, he had just spoken to his mother.
"He had just come from work, and there was a child who had been sent home from school due to fees issues, and he had called him... he said let me go to M-Pesa and send you money to take the child to school," recounted Bernard Ekesa, Lubanga's brother. "When Dennis left to withdraw money from M-Pesa, accompanied by a friend who lives nearby, they were both shot by the police."
With the loss of their primary provider, the family now faces uncertainty and lacks the means to bring Lubanga's body back to their home in Nambale.
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"I plead for assistance so that my son's body can be returned home. I am in a difficult situation; he has left me with children, and I don't know how I will support them," said Emily Lubanga, the deceased's mother.
His father, Joseph Lubanga, added: "The government should investigate why they shot our son without cause... they should examine what offense he had committed because he was the cornerstone of this household."
The family is demanding that the officer responsible for their son's death be prosecuted and remains hopeful that justice will be served for Lubanga.
