Rasta Sakulo, the uncle of Douglas Kalasinga, holds his identification card in Nairobi, Kenya, July, 21, 2023. At least 35 civilians have been shot dead by police in Kenya this month during protests over new taxes and the rising cost of living, and Kalasinga's loved ones believe he's one of them. At the morgue, the bullet was still lodged in Douglas Kalasinga's head. His family said they couldn't afford an autopsy.
He was the oldest child in his family and never studied past primary school because of the lack of money to pay school fees. He came to Nairobi as a teenager in search of menial jobs. He was one of millions of people that President William Ruto, elected last year, described as fellow hustlers as he appealed to those of humble background and vowed to lower the cost of living.
Human rights organizations expressed concern over the police killings, arbitrary arrests and detentions reported in the demonstrations this month and urged the policing oversight body to investigate and prosecute the officers found guilty. A separate statement by religious leaders strongly condemned the "excessive force and use of live bullets by police when containing the chaos."