A wheelchair-using man from Kilifi County has spent three consecutive days sleeping outside the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) office in Malindi, refusing to leave until officers attend to his case concerning the alleged murder of his father in 2022.
Steve Kitsao Masha told those following his story online that he had been summoned by the DCIO to provide further details about his father’s death.
Yet, despite arriving at the office at 10 am, he waited for hours without being received or even acknowledged by the investigating officer.
Steve Lowers Himself From Wheelchair to Force a Response
Frustrated by the prolonged wait, Steve eventually lowered himself out of his wheelchair and lay on the ground outside the offices. The act drew the attention of other officers, who alerted the DCIO. It was only then that the officer came out to address him.
“He was informed that I was down from my wheelchair and that is when he thought of coming to attend to the matter and I insisted I would not leave until he attended to my issue,” Steve said.
By day three, officers had reportedly begun asking him to return home, citing increased pressure around the protest. Steve flatly refused, explaining why he could not afford to simply walk away and trust that his case would be followed up.
He recalled a 2024 meeting involving the OCPD and the DCIO, during which the OCPD personally committed to resolving the matter within a week. When that deadline passed and Steve tried to follow up, his calls went unanswered.
A Broken Promise and a Father’s Unresolved Death
“I felt lied to and cheated by him. A senior officer lying to a disabled person!” Steve wrote. “How can I then be sure that my matter will not be dropped the moment I leave here?”
His concern is rooted in credibility. He fears that returning home and later coming back to mount fresh pressure would make him appear, in his own words, like “a joker” and “an attention seeker.”
Steve alleges that his father was murdered roughly four years ago by individuals he believes are connected to people in authority, with most of those allegedly responsible still at large. He has since appealed directly to the DCI Kenya account, writing:
“Hey @DCI_Kenya, enough of these games and pranks you play Steve Masha Kitsao, with his disability, seeking justice over his father’s murder. The murderers, all of them at large, save for the accused fall guy must be brought to book.”
He also appealed to Kenyans of goodwill to support him in his vigil, specifically asking whether anyone could provide him with a mattress as he continued to hold his ground outside the DCI offices.
