MOMBASA County—Jan 26, 2026—A family in Likoni is demanding justice for their kin who was allegedly shot dead by police in 2021 during the height of Covid-19 restrictions.
According to the boy’s father, Masoud Matano, his 17-year-old son, Matano Masoud, died after police officers allegedly shot him six times following an encounter near a building in the area.
An autopsy report seen by the family indicates that the Form three student sustained gunshot wounds to the head, back and chest, and died from excessive bleeding.
Matano accused the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) of inaction and complacency, saying investigations conducted by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) found police culpability, excessive use of force and procedural breaches, yet the case has not been prosecuted.
“We immediately reported the matter to IPOA, which investigated the incident and forwarded its findings to the ODPP. Nearly six years later, the ODPP has gone silent. We remain in grief, confusion and denied justice,” Matano said.
The boy’s mother, Umi Mramba, said the family feels abandoned by state institutions mandated to uphold justice.
“I have seen similar cases handled promptly and justice served, but my son’s case appears to have been ignored. I am asking the ODPP to accord me the same justice as other Kenyan families,” she said.
Coast Social Justice Travelling Theatre (CSJTT) coordinator and human rights activist Bradley Ouna termed the delay a failure of both fair administrative action and access to justice.
Ouna said the ODPP’s inaction five years on raises concerns of possible interference or disregard for the family’s plight.
Through a civil society network, he said, activists have issued the ODPP with a seven-day ultimatum to act on the matter, warning of protests if no progress is made.
“If the case is not acted upon within seven days, we will visit the ODPP offices and mount protests until the family gets justice,” Ouna said.
