A Kibera family has launched an urgent appeal for justice following the fatal lynching of their son, Abbass Mohammed, on Monday evening. The 21-year-old was reportedly attacked with a machete by a boda boda rider from Silanga, according to witnesses.
A local resident described the incident: "The boda boda rider accused Abbass of theft, and a crowd gathered to assault him. He was left for dead after the beating." Abbass later died from severe blood loss at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The victim's mother, Fatuma Kassed, recounted their final conversation: "On Sunday, Abbass called me and said he missed me. He promised to visit his grandmother's house that evening for our weekly meeting." She revealed her son's last call ended abruptly when he failed to arrive, prompting family members to discover his room unsecured and later learn of the attack.
Abbass, who worked at Alata shop along Ngong Road, is survived by parents Weni Mohammed and Fatuma Kassed, and brother Ali Mohammed, a Zetech University student. Weni, who works in Saudi Arabia, returned to Kenya following the tragedy.
The case adds to growing concerns about violence in Kibera. Last month, the Nubian Rights Forum and council of elders raised alarms over extrajudicial killings, citing the February 11 stabbing of Jaffer Salim in a love triangle dispute. A similar incident occurred in December 2018 when 23-year-old Calton Maina was shot by police in Kibera, with elders condemning the violence as unwarranted.
Nubian council of elders chairman Abdul Faraj criticized the police account of Maina's death: "Calton was a role model for youth. It's regrettable that the area police boss claims the boy was killed during a robbery mission." The ongoing pattern of such incidents has intensified calls for accountability in the community.
