Body of Missing Anti-Ruto Protester Dancun Onsongo Discovered at City Mortuary

The frantic search for a family from Kisii County ended at City Mortuary in Nairobi where they discovered the body of their 26-year-old son.

Dancun Onsongo, a fruit vendor from Kisii County, disappeared on July 2 during demonstrations in Mlolongo, Machakos County. As the eldest of ten siblings, Onsongo had shouldered the responsibility of supporting his family despite facing unemployment and rising living costs. His decision to join the protests, against the advice of concerned neighbours, spoke to the desperation felt by many young Kenyans. His mother, Grace Kwamboka, finds herself not only grieving her son but also grappling with the financial burden of his burial.

The family's anguish is compounded by the government's silence. William Nyakundi, Onsongo's father, remembers his son as a skilled mechanic and driver whose potential had been cut short. Local leaders such as Ward Representative Wycliff Siocha have demanded answers and accountability. The lack of official response or condolences from the government has only fueled public anger. According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, at least 39 lives have been lost with hundreds more injured since the onset of the protests.

The commission accuses law enforcement of employing excessive force against largely peaceful demonstrators, citing the use of teargas, rubber bullets, and batons. Meanwhile, the body of a 23-year-old JKUAT student Denzel Omondi was eventually discovered on July 7, floating in an abandoned quarry's water pool in Juja's Mashmoni area. The student vanished on June 27, just two days after participating in protests against a financial bill at the National Assembly with other young activists.

He was last seen on campus on June 26, the day before his disappearance. His backpack, containing his university and national ID cards, was found with him. The autopsy revealed that he had drowned, with visible bruises on the back of his head and legs.