Police fatally shot Kenyan student Carilton Maina on December 21, and his death has enraged Kenyans and people worldwide, according to the BBC.
Maina was a 23-year-old engineering student at the U.K.'s University of Leeds. He was back home in Kenya for Christmas and was killed in Kibera, Nairobi, by a police officer after watching a soccer match with friends. The honors student achieved global recognition after delivering a celebrated TED talk in 2016 discussing poverty, violence and other serious issues that affect Kenya.
Maina used the platform that talk gave him to become a proponent for using education to solve problems that affect communities of color all over the world. In this, he led by example, excelling in his studies at Leeds.
Amnesty International issued a statement condemning Maina's killing, noting he had no previous criminal record. In a statement posted to Twitter, the organization's director for Kenya said, "Carilton Maina's [killing] shatters again the myth that only violent criminals are being killed lawfully. This death has the hallmark of unlawful and extrajudicial killing and must be comprehensively probed."
"Carilton Maina's killings shatters again the myth that only violent criminals are being killed lawfully. This death has the Hallmark of unlawful and extra judicial killing and must be comprehensively probed".@johnallannamu@dkmaraga#JusticeForMaina
#JusticeForCarilton
pic.twitter.com/qRo5GoNYP2— Amnesty Kenya (@AmnestyKenya) December 26, 2018
According to Standard Media, youth groups in Nairobi organized a peaceful protest once news of the killing broke. Protesters gathered with signboards were dispersed by police with tear gas. Anti-riot police stopped a nonviolent march to police headquarters.
Standard also reports a series of muggings in Kibera led police to believe Maina and his friends were a gang of robbers.
Maina’s friends like Diana Bwari remember how much potential the student and activist had for greatness.
“He had become such an epitome of hope in Kibera,” said Bwari. “Not so many people from the slums get a chance to study abroad.”
The police have launched an investigation into the shooting.
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