Kericho Family Demands Justice After Son's Fatal Shooting by State House Officer

Four months after the fatal shooting of Amos Langat by a police officer allegedly attached to a senior State House official, his family in Kericho County are demanding accountability and transparency, citing a lack of progress in the investigation. 

The incident, which occurred in the Amboseli area of Dagoretti, Nairobi, on 23 March, has fuelled concerns about potential impunity and institutional silence.

Langat, described by relatives as a disciplined and hardworking individual, was reportedly shot multiple times by Corporal Mohamed Yusuf Keinan following an altercation that began at a local bar over a game of pool. 

An autopsy confirmed Langat sustained seven gunshot wounds: four to the stomach and three to the chest. Witnesses, including Langat's brother, Enock, allege the officer also fired at him after witnessing the shooting. Despite public assurances from Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja that the matter would be thoroughly investigated, the family says they have received no formal updates from either the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) or the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). 

The suspect, currently under police guard in hospital for unspecified injuries, has not been formally charged. The death of Langat has plunged his family into both financial and emotional hardship. His father, Daniel Sigei, recovering from a leg injury, relied on Amos for medical support. 

His mother, Sarah, reports the family is struggling to afford essential needs, including medication. Outside their home, construction materials remain untouched beside an unfinished house Amos had begun building. Faith Langat, Amos's widow, is now solely responsible for raising their young child. 

"Amos's life was cut short in the most painful way and for reasons we still don't understand," she says. 

The family fears the case will be quietly dismissed due to the officer's connections to State House Spokesman Hussein Mohamed.