A night meant to honour the memory of the late former Prime Minister Raila Amollo Odinga turned into tragedy in Homa Bay on Thursday when a police officer shot and killed a 32-year-old woman, Lucy Oketch, during chaotic scenes outside the Homa Bay Police Station.
The incident, which has since sparked outrage and renewed debate about police accountability, occurred shortly before midnight when a crowd of mourners marching through the streets in honour of Odinga clashed with officers guarding the station.
According to Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrence Koklem, the crowd — largely made up of Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) supporters — had gathered earlier at the Homa Bay Stadium for a candlelight vigil, singing dirges and chanting slogans in tribute to the fallen opposition icon.
“The group later moved into the streets and eventually towards the police station. Some mourners began throwing stones, and one officer at the OB desk opened fire when the crowd surged forward,” Koklem told The Nairobi Leo on Friday morning.
A Stray Bullet, A Lost Life
Witnesses describe the night as tense, charged with emotion but largely peaceful until the crowd reached the police station. Several attendees say they saw officers retreating behind the gates before shots rang out.
Lucy Oketch, a mother of two and a fish vendor at Shauri Yako market, was reportedly walking home after the vigil when she was struck by a stray bullet near the station’s entrance.
“We were just walking home, still holding our candles. Then we heard gunfire. People scattered. When I turned, Lucy was on the ground,” recounted Millicent Awino, one of the mourners.
Oketch was rushed to the Homa Bay County Referral Hospital, where medics pronounced her dead on arrival.
Officer Arrested, Probe Launched
In a rare show of swift internal action, police confirmed that the officer who fired the fatal shot was immediately disarmed and detained. He is being held at the same station pending arraignment on Tuesday.
Commander Koklem described the incident as “unfortunate and regrettable,” adding that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) had been informed and had dispatched investigators to the scene.
“No one is above the law. We are cooperating fully with oversight agencies to ensure justice is served,” Koklem said.
Public Fury and Political Undertones
The shooting has sparked outrage among residents and ODM supporters, who accuse police of using excessive force even during moments of national mourning.
Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma condemned the killing, calling it “a shameful act of recklessness at a time when the country is mourning one of its greatest sons.”
“Raila Odinga spent his life fighting for justice and human rights. To have someone killed while mourning him is the height of irony,” Kaluma said.
Civil society groups have also called for an urgent review of crowd control measures, especially during emotionally charged national events.
A History of Deadly Police Responses
The Homa Bay shooting adds to a growing list of fatal police incidents in Kenya, many of which remain unresolved. Reports by IPOA and Amnesty International have repeatedly flagged a pattern of excessive use of force and poor crowd management training within the service.
Between 2020 and 2024, IPOA documented over 230 cases of civilians killed by police bullets in protests or crowd dispersals, with less than a dozen convictions.
Analysts say the tragedy underscores a deeper issue — the tension between policing and public expression, especially in politically charged regions such as Nyanza.
Family’s Plea for Justice
At the Oketch family home in Shauri Yako estate, grief hung thick in the air Friday morning. Her husband, Samuel Otieno, sat motionless beside the doorway, clutching his wife’s blood-stained headscarf.
“She had gone to mourn Baba, not to die. All we want is justice — real justice, not words,” he whispered.
The family says they have received little official communication from authorities and are appealing for support to cover burial expenses.
A Nation on Edge
With the country still reeling from the death of Raila Odinga — a man many consider the conscience of Kenya’s democracy — Thursday night’s tragedy adds yet another layer of sorrow.
As Raila’s funeral preparations continue, the government faces mounting pressure to rein in police excesses and ensure that moments of national mourning are not turned into bloodstained reminders of systemic impunity.
For now, the candles lit in Homa Bay burn not only for Raila Odinga but also for Lucy Oketch, a woman whose only crime was walking home on a night Kenya was supposed to come together in grief.
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