Months after 6-month-old Samantha Pendo died
after being injured on the head in their house, justice is yet to catch
with the alleged perpetrators.
Baby Pendo died on August 5 a few days after she was
allegedly hit on the head with a baton by anti-riot police officers.
Her parents have cried out to the State to deliver justice
for their child’s killing, saying they do not want compensation. They have also
dismissed a report by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA)
that said it could not identify the particular officer(s) who caused the
death.
Baby Pendo’s parents have termed the report unjustified,
adding that the officers who killed their child were well known.
Pendo’s mother, Lancer Achieng’, questioned why the
investigations did not lead to the identification and arrest of the officers.
“When they came to investigate the matter after the death of
my child, we gave all the leads that could have led to the arrest of the
culprit. How come they are telling us that they are not able to lay their hands
on a specific officer?” she wept.
“My baby died out of internal bleeding, are we the ones who
did that? Why can’t they identify the officers who caused my child’s death?”
screamed Ms Achieng’.
She said that the troops that were sent to Kisumu to calm
down the protesters following the declaration of Uhuru Kenyatta as President
after the August 8 election are well known and it should not take a long time
to identify them.
“I know they are trying to hide them but I am very sure that
justice will prevail for my child. We expected a report that could have led to
their arrest and not the one that was released yesterday,” said Pendo’s father
Joseph Abanja.
“What was the purpose of doing the investigations? Why are
they adding us more pain?” he quipped.
The Ipoa report advised Pendo’s parents to pursue civil
proceedings against National Police Service for compensation.
“This is going to cost me more pain because I don’t even
know where to start. What I want is justice for my child. They took away my
happiness after several agonies and now they are telling me that they cannot
get those who killed my child. I am going to file a case and get justice for my
child,” said Ms Achieng’.
“When I was shouting at the top of my voice for the officers
to spare my daughter’s life, they did not care … The report has served us
injustice,” said Abanja.
He added that IPOA did not inform them that it had released
the report even though they cooperated during investigations.
“I am wondering how they are communicating. Why didn’t they
find it wise to share with us the outcome? I am reading so many things here but
God will see us through this,” he said.
