Philip Oketch: KU student shot in the neck during protests sends defiant message to President Ruto

Speaking right outside the Kenyatta National Hospital, and while still draped in his green patient gown and flanked by hundreds of his comrades, an unbowed Philip Oketch fired a strong missile towards the president, asking him to put his house in order and rein in his police officers. 

"Allow me to begin by sending a warning to the so-called Commander in Chief, the president of the Republic of Kenya, 'Wantam' William Ruto," he said. "We are tired as the young people of this country. This country does not belong to anyone. This country belongs to our forefathers, the future generations and us, the young people of this country."

Oketch further added that the Kenyan police had become a 'burning problem' towards the citizenry, maintaining that, despite the threats and state brutality, the youth of the country would remain firmly rooted in the streets.

"We want you to take good control of your robots in uniform (the policemen), who swore and vowed to take good care of the citizens. But they've proven that they can be the burning problem towards the unarmed, sober and innocent citizens of Kenya," he said. 

He added, "I want to tell William Ruto that no amounts of threats will intimidate us. The streets belong to the people and we will remain in the streets until you get out of power!"

Oketch, a senior student leader from Homa Bay was on Tuesday, June 17, critically injured after being shot during a peaceful protest in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD), sparking outrage among student bodies nationwide.

Popularly known as Yudhe, Oketch was reportedly shot in the neck on the evening of Tuesday, June 17, while participating in a demonstration condemning the alleged extrajudicial killing of educator Albert Ojwang.

The Kenyatta University student is currently serving as the Chief of Staff of the Homa-Bay Universities Students' Association (HUSA) and also the Chairperson of the Homa Bay Youths Forum.

The association (HUSA) promptly issued a scathing condemnation of what it terms a "barbaric act" by law enforcement. "We strongly condemn this barbaric act by the police and call upon comrades across the nation to rise in unity and support our brother in this difficult time," read the press statement signed by HUSA President Ogolla Ray.

In a show of solidarity, HUSA called on all university comrades to gather at KNH to stand with the injured leader and engage in a strategic dialogue on the way forward.

The student body has also urged the national student movement to mobilize and hold authorities accountable for what they described as an unprovoked act of brutality.

"The time to deliberate on a strategic course of action is now," the statement declared, reinforcing the association's longstanding rallying cry: "An injury to one comrade is an injury to all."