During a visit to distribute sanitary towels at a Nairobi school, politician Millicent Omanga was handed a handwritten letter by a student that profoundly impacted her.
The note, penned by a pupil who lost her uncle during recent protests, implored Omanga to appeal to the police to cease shooting innocent civilians. The letter read: "Dear Millicent Omanga, I pray you can do a favour for me. My uncle left us, and it was during the protest. Please tell the cops to stop shooting innocent people."
Omanga shared the letter on Facebook, expressing how deeply it moved her. She lamented that a child should be focused on dreams and education, not pleading for safety from violence.
Addressing government leaders, she urged them to recognise the human toll of police brutality, stating: "These are not statistics. These are children, families and innocent lives. Stop the killings. Stop the violence. Protect the people you were entrusted to serve." She concluded with a poignant question: "How many more innocent voices must cry out before you listen?"
Context of Protests and Police Response
The letter comes amid ongoing youth-led demonstrations across Kenya since mid-2024, including anti-tax protests and major rallies like the 2025 anniversary marches and Saba Saba events. These protests have frequently been met with force, resulting in injuries and fatalities attributed to police actions.
Human rights organisations have documented cases of excessive force by security agencies during these events, with calls for accountability and justice from affected families and communities.
For the student who wrote the letter, the protests are deeply personal, marking the loss of a family member rather than a political debate.
