'I am scared he might never walk again'; Mathare mums’ heartbreaking tales on Azimio protests

Nothing is more heart-wrenching for a mother than seeing her child in pain and knowing there is little she can do to ease the suffering. For the mothers who lived through the protests that swept through Nairobi County, that pain and helplessness has become a daily reality.

They share their stories of anguish and fear as they recount how the protests affected their children. Their experiences are a stark reminder of the heavy toll that civil unrest can take on innocent bystanders, especially children.

Through their accounts, we gain a deeper understanding of the human cost of the protests and the lasting impact on the community.

These are the emotional accounts of three mothers whose children were caught up in the crossfire during the recent Azimio la Umoja One Kenya coalition’s anti-government protests.

Maurine Akoth lives in a nightmare, fearing that her son, who stepped on a teargas canister that tore through his leg, may never walk again. She stares at the son, Cornel Juka, 7, her fears stemming from a harrowing incident that took place in their Mathare neighbourhood during the March protests.

That Thursday morning, tensions began to rise, prompting Ms Akoth and her family to gather their children in one place for safety. By mid-afternoon, teargas canisters were thrown onto the roof of their home, filling the house with gas.

In an effort to provide fresh air for their children, they opened the door, and a police officer threw a teargas canister inside. While fleeing, Ms Akoth’s child stepped on the canister, causing it to explode and critically injure his leg.

“The memory haunts me to this day. I recall hearing my child scream, calling out my name. My heart raced with fear and confusion as I looked around the smoke-filled room, trying to make sense of what was happening.

"As I frantically searched for a way out, I saw my neighbour’s six-month-old baby coughing and struggling to breathe. At that moment, I knew I had to act fast,” says the mother of five.

Mangled limb

“I took the helpless infant in my arms and ran towards my son, whose leg had burst open and was bleeding profusely. The sight of his mangled limb made my blood run cold, and I panicked when I realised that I had to help him,” she adds.

“Through sheer force of will, I managed to keep my composure and attend to both children, even as chaos and confusion raged around us. It was a moment of intense emotion, and one I will never forget.”

Despite Ms Akoth's desperate efforts to save her son's life, she was unable to afford the Sh1,500 needed for his medical treatment. Her son's screams of agony eventually subsided, leading her to believe he had died.

“I rushed him to a dispensary and they immediately did first aid on him and stitched his leg up. My son is seven years old and now I can only carry him around because he cannot walk. He is unable to attend school because I have to carry him everywhere,” cries the distraught mother.

“I am scared he might never walk again. Whenever I take him to the dispensary, they only clean and dress, and it gets worse every time I go back.”

For Pauline Namachanja, that Thursday, which started as a normal day, remains the worst day she can recall. As it started, she was unsure whether the demonstrations would take place.

Also read: Innocents bear the brunt of protests

Despite the uncertainty, Ms Namachanja and her husband went to work as usual. She works in Kiambu and earns on a daily basis, thus missing work was not an option for her.

To ensure her children—Paul Mathias (six) and Emmanuel Macron (three)—were safe, she entrusted them to a neighbour who was not going to work that day.

“At 5pm, my phone rang and my friend informed me that my children were hurt and I needed to come home immediately. I was filled with fear and worry as I rushed to explain the situation to my boss, hoping they would understand the urgency of my departure. As I made my way home, chaos surrounded me, teargas filled the air, but all I could think about were my children,” Ms Namachanja reminisces.

“When I arrived at the hospital, the scene was heart-wrenching. One of my boys was being stitched up, while the other lay next to him coughing and on oxygen. Seeing them in such pain broke my heart. My children had done nothing wrong, yet they were now suffering. This is wrong,” she says.

Lavender Rose, another resident of Mathare, was indoors when she heard the commotion outside her house that Thursday. As she was about to close the door, a teargas canister landed at her doorstep.

The fumes found their way into her small iron sheet house. It is by sheer luck that her two-month-old baby survived the fumes. The19-year-old quickly grabbed her baby and rushed out, only for another teargas canister to land at her door. This knocked the child out and he started foaming in the mouth while wheezing heavily.

“Only God knows how I got to Uzima White Hospital in Mathare, where my baby was given first aid. I wish the officers could be humane and consider the innocents,” she says.

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