Lawyer Willis Otieno has demanded accountability after a BBC Africa Eye documentary titled Blood Parliament, linked a Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer to the fatal shooting of University of Nairobi student Eric Shieni during the June 2024 anti-finance bill protests.
The documentary, released on Monday, April 28, claims that an army officer, deployed to assist police operations, shot Shieni at close range within the Parliament precincts.
In a statement after the documentary's release, Otieno expressed his shock and anger at the revelations, demanding answers from the relevant authorities.
"I was genuinely shaken to learn that the KDF, an institution we once held with deep respect, were part of this horror. Imagine a Kenyan soldier, armed and trained to defend life, shooting an unarmed civilian from just 25 meters away.
"Who sent them? Who gave the order? Days later, no answers, just silence and blood on the conscience of the state," he said.
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The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) also weighed in, with President Faith Odhiambo emphasizing that Shieni was intentionally killed.
"Eric Shieni deserved a fair hearing. We don't know whether he damaged the parliament or not, but he wasn't aggressive; he was leaving the premises. They could have had him arrested, but the fact that he was shot on the head was an intention to kill," she stated.
In response to the documentary, the KDF distanced itself from any wrongdoing, noting that it had not received any inquiries from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) concerning the shooting.
"IPOA has so far not forwarded any inquiries, information, or requests to investigate any KDF personnel involved in the operations. KDF remains fully committed to upholding the rule of law and continues to operate strictly within the mandate granted by the Constitution," the statement read.
