Today, the Mbita Law Court will deliver its verdict on the burial arrangements for Kennedy Onyango, a 12-year-old boy who tragically lost his life during anti-tax protests in Rongai, Kajiado County.
The court is poised to decide whether Kennedy will be laid to rest at the home of his mother, Jacinta Anyango, or his father, Denis Okinyi. The dispute arose when a funeral procession heading to Anyango’s home in Rusinga for the burial was intercepted by Okinyi, armed with a court order.
Okinyi, who is Jacinta’s former partner, sought legal intervention to prevent Kennedy’s burial at his mother’s second marital home. He argued that Kennedy had primarily lived under his custody for many years, while Anyango claimed Okinyi was obstructing the burial because he realized the government was covering the funeral expenses and sought control over the contributions.
Kennedy’s body, originally intended for burial in Rusinga, has been held at Suba Sub-County Hospital pending the court’s decision. The tragic incident occurred in June 2024 when Kennedy was fatally shot during protests in Rongai, Kajiado County.