Eric Omondi opens up on toll of supporting families grieving protest deaths

Comedian and activist Eric Omondi has opened up about the deep emotional toll he has suffered while being on the front line of supporting families affected by police shootings during recent anti-government protests, revealing that even members of his family have recommended therapy for him.

Speaking during an interview with a local radio station on Monday, July 14, 2025, Omondi noted that the situation on the ground has become even more dire than it was last year, saying he has seen far more deaths, injuries, and trauma than he ever imagined.

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He recalled that one of his aunties recently told him that he needed therapy, a suggestion he admitted was not far from the truth, considering the level of devastation he has witnessed over the past two months.

“I have seen a lot. I remember one of my aunties was telling me, ‘Eric, you need therapy.’ I have seen a lot in the past two months. The ground is worsening, and now it is worse than last year.”

According to him, hundreds of young people are currently nursing serious injuries in hospitals, while several others have already been buried.

He said that in the past month alone, he personally attended the burials of at least nine victims, describing the pain and horror of grieving families as unforgettable.

“We have lost more people, and many are still lying in hospitals, injured. We have hundreds of injured people in hospitals. And others who died are not buried yet. I have gone around, and in the last month, we have buried around nine people.”

Omondi expressed frustration with what he described as the government’s continued justification of police shootings, even in the wake of widespread mourning.

Heartbreaking seeing parents cry

He said it was heartbreaking to see mothers crying and fathers traumatised, only for the national leadership to maintain a tone that condones more violence against citizens.

“It is horrific that even with all this, the rhetoric from the government is that people should still be shot. After we have seen mothers cry, fathers traumatised. We expected that leaders would call for something other than ‘shoot more’.”

He said the youth of the country were speaking loudly and clearly, but their voices were being ignored.

He criticised the plans to have dialogue forums, suggesting that many in government only want to hold discussions without addressing the real issues being raised on the streets.

“I have seen young people, even as young as nineteen, openly express fear that they will be killed by the government,” he said, noting that this was a clear sign that the crisis was not only physical but also deeply psychological.