During recent protests in Kenya, where young people took to the streets and even entered the National Assembly, tragic losses occurred, and lives were forever altered by incidents of police force. Among those deeply affected is 32-year-old Henry Omondi Ochieng’ from Bondo, Siaya County, whose future now hangs in the balance after being shot in the thigh on June 25 during the high-profile Gen Z protests against the 2024 Finance Bill.
Protestors had gathered to voice their frustrations over tax increases, poor governance, constitutional issues, extrajudicial killings, and the soaring cost of living, as gunshots and tear gas filled the air. Omondi’s life took a dramatic turn when a police bullet severely injured his left leg, leaving him with intense pain and a complicated path to recovery.
"I was just walking by the road when a bullet hit my leg. Boda boda riders rushed me to the hospital, where doctors confirmed the bullet was still lodged in my thigh," he recalls. Thanks to support from Siaya Governor James Orengo, doctors at the Bondo Sub-county Hospital successfully removed the bullet. However, Omondi was unable to continue treatment due to the Ksh.50,000 needed for surgery.
For the past four months, Omondi has only had painkillers to manage the agony in his leg, as he cannot afford the surgery. When Citizen Digital visited him in his one-room home in Bondo's Onyata Estate, Omondi shared how his life has been completely upended. Unable to continue his work as a boda boda operator, he now struggles even to secure food for his family, surviving on just porridge and water.
The economic impact on his family has been devastating. Omondi has been unable to pay rent or provide for his wife and two children, and they are struggling to meet basic needs. His wife, Lucy Akoth, now takes on manual labor to keep the family afloat, enduring the challenges of this situation since Omondi was injured in the protests.
As hope for recovery lingers, Omondi and Akoth are pleading for assistance to fund the corrective surgery he needs, which would allow him to resume his work and provide for his family once again.
