Man who survived 6 gunshot wounds opens up.

The families of young Kenyans killed in the anti-tax protests have been demanding an apology and seeking damages from the government.

Among them is Frank Okoth, a young man who was believed to have died after being shot six times by anti-riot police. 

On June 30, he spoke to Citizen TV at his home in Land Mawe about the incident.

Frank was shot during the first week of protests. In online videos, he is seen lying helplessly on the stairs of a building in the CBD, writhing in pain. 

He wore a red shirt and had a black and white backpack. 

There was a bullet wound on his abdomen, and he gasped for air.

Surrounding youth desperately attempted to make phone calls for help. Frank was initially thought to have died the previous Tuesday, but he was rushed to KNH.

Youth have been organising nationwide protests for two weeks over the Finance Bill 2024, which President Ruto ultimately withdrew in response to mounting pressure.

Frank is now bedridden in his home, which he shares with his grandmother. He told Citizen TV that many had assumed he had died.

He had joined the protestors as a jobless youth who wanted his plight addressed.

“Before maandamano I had gone to look for work but was unsuccessful, so I went for the protests”

He joined those near the Parliament building as a group stormed the National Assembly.

(There were a lot of us but I was among the people at the front, I started telling the police we came in peace but they threw tear gas at us.)

He continued

“Sa hawa wa mbele ndio walikuwa wanaangalia sana, lakini wenye walikuwa kando ndio wali shoot”

( The ones at the front were looking keenly but the ones on the side are the ones who shot.)

He was shot and videos later showed him being carried into an ambulance where he was rushed to the national referral hospital.

He woke up days later at the medical facility, where doctors had operated on him multiple times to try and dislodge the bullets.

‘A friend of mine came and told me people had already killed me out there but I assured him I was alive and well.”

He was discharged and is now bedridden. he told Citizen he felt lucky to be alive

“Kutoka nitoke hospitali, hakuna mtu ananishughulikia. maisha tu ni kulala hapa yani veney tu niko hapa, siwezi pinduka”

His struggle with pain is something his grandmother shares. She was slapped with a hospital bill of sh45k.

“Bill ya elfu arubaini and tano, na sina hata shillingi moja, niko na kitabu saa hii na nimechanga shillingi mia tano”

The young man told fellow Kenyan to continue with the struggle “Maandamano tushinde kuenda, hadi ile siku tutapata haki yetu” Okoth added. 

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