NAIROBI, Kenya- Constitutional affairs adviser Prof. Makau Mutua has called for a thorough investigation into the fatal shooting of 28-year-old Cecil Ouma, who was allegedly shot by a security officer attached to Youth Affairs Principal Secretary Fikirini Jacobs during a youth empowerment event in Nairobi.
In a statement shared on Wednesday, Mutua described the incident as a tragedy and urged authorities to ensure everyone found responsible is held accountable.
“It’s tragic that Cecil Ouma, a young man attending a youth empowerment event, was allegedly shot dead by a security officer attached to Youth Affairs PS Fikirini Jacobs,” Mutua said.
“This tragedy must be investigated thoroughly and fully so that everyone responsible faces the full force of the law. There must be no place in our society for such a calamity.”
According to reports, Ouma, a civil engineering student at the Technical University of Kenya and a youth mobiliser in Kariokor, was among participants attending a youth empowerment forum under the State Department for Youth Affairs and Creative Economy’s KIKAO programme.
Witnesses said the shooting occurred after the event ended, when a group of youths reportedly expressed dissatisfaction with a Sh10,000 facilitation payment that had been shared among about 60 mobilisers.
Ouma was reportedly asked to approach the Principal Secretary’s vehicle to discuss the matter before an altercation broke out.
He was allegedly shot in the chest during the confrontation and rushed to Park Road Nursing Home, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police reports cited by local media have linked the fatal shooting to a member of the Principal Secretary’s security detail.
The incident has sparked widespread condemnation from political leaders, civil society groups and members of the public, with growing calls for an independent investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.