Gairoro village in Ntimaru West sub-county has been plunged into grief, anger, and a state of high tension following the brutal daylight killing of a Grade 8 student from Kwiho Junior Secondary School, Samuel Marwa.
The teenager was allegedly shot dead by a police officer during a violent altercation tied to a complex, long-standing land feud that has created a deep rivalry between local families.
According to family and community representatives, the killing did not happen under the cover of darkness.
It took place at around 10am on Sunday, in full view of local residents who watched in horror.
Family members have expressed immense heartbreak, questioning how a young school-going child could be gunned down (brutally) by law enforcement while local political and administrative leaders remain completely silent.
“How can a young child be shot with a bullet by police officers while our leaders remain quiet? We cannot continue as a society if our people are being killed like animals,” a family representative stated.
“The family is weeping right now. We do not want a game of cat and mouse where people come to lie to us. This act was done openly, not at night, and everyone saw it.”
Susan Mwita, a Community Health Promoter (CHP) in Gairoro B, broke down in tears as she described the tragic circumstances. The deceased was from a household she regularly visits as part of her healthcare duties.
Going to the farm
“The boy had gone to the shamba that Sunday morning to harvest maize to assist his family because it was a weekend and he wasn’t in school. His mother was at home expecting him to bring food, unfortunately,he didn’t make it home”Mwita sobbed.
“Right now, his school deskmate is crying to me, asking, ‘Where is the one I used to sit with?’ He was even a talented runner. Does the government expect me to record a death in my July reporting for a young child shot at school age? Our leaders need to tell us if Gairoro is in Kenya or if we are in Tanzania so we know who to ask for protection!”
Deep-rooted land grievances and “deliberate inaction”
Youth leaders in Ntimaru West have strongly condemned the local security apparatus, accusing them of deliberate silence and potentially being complicit in the region’s rising killings.
Johannes Masambe, a prominent youth representative, pointed out that the land conflict is fueled by deep-rooted, systemic issues regarding historical land ownership.
“We are witnessing a crisis where ancestral land that local Kuria communities have farmed for over a century is being aggressively taken away. Mysterious individuals frequently surface claiming ownership, wielding newly minted title deeds,” Masambe explained.
“Worse still, there is an ongoing dispute among the Kuria themselves where land is allegedly sold twice, leading to bitter internal rivalries. The people who claim to have bought the land are Kenyans, and those who have farmed it for 100 years are Kenyans. Why can’t the authorities bring these groups to the table?”
Masambe heavily criticized the Trans Mara South and Ntimaru security teams for failing to manage the crisis.
“It is deeply disheartening that since the killing took place, not a single administrative or political leader has set foot in this homestead to console the family or offer any security directions.
Security lies in your hands, DCC Ntimaru and DCC Trans Mara South. You cannot sit in your offices while your citizens are being slaughtered.”
The local youth have now issued a strict seven-day ultimatum to the national government. They demand the immediate arrest and prosecution of the police officer responsible before Samuel’s body is released from the mortuary for burial.
Peter Steven, a youth spokesperson from Ntimaru, warned that the community’s patience has completely run out. “We are completely tired! We are giving the government exactly seven days.
“The culprit must be arrested and put behind bars so that this family can see justice has been served. If not, the citizens will be forced to take matters into their own hands to protect themselves.”
The family is demanding the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) immediately deploy investigators to Gairoro to conduct a transparent, independent probe. They maintain that the teenager will not be buried until IPOA visits the ground, conducts a proper investigation, and guarantees that the family will receive justice.
