Kabando wa Kabando has raised a serious concern about how the government responds when people die in suspicious circumstances or are killed unlawfully.
He warns that the quick offers of large amounts of money, new houses, or government jobs to the victims’ families are not acts of kindness.
He calls it “hush cash”, which he believes is meant to silence the families and cover up the truth. According to Kabando, this is not genuine help but a way of avoiding justice.
He urges families to reject what he calls “blood money” and to stand firm in demanding answers and accountability.
This worrying trend seems to be growing. Whenever someone dies under unclear or violent circumstances especially during protests or while in police custody the government or its agents show up offering help in the form of money or favors.
But this help usually comes before proper investigations are even done. Instead of arresting or charging those responsible, the state rushes to pay hospital bills, build houses for parents, or give jobs to widows.
This raises a very important question: is the government trying to show compassion, or is it trying to keep people from asking hard questions?Kabando’s warning is based on real examples. One such case is Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, who was shot in the head during an anti-police brutality protest.
After that, the focus shifted to paying his ICU bills rather than finding out who fired the bullet. Another example is Albert Ojwang’, who died while in police custody. Before anyone was held responsible for his death, the government gave his family a new house, a big cash payment, and job offers.
These are not small gifts, but they come at the cost of justice. No one is arrested. No one is punished. And the truth remains hidden.
Kabando’s message is that this pattern is dangerous. It creates a situation where deaths are treated as problems to be solved with money instead of truth.
It also encourages a culture where people in power can avoid responsibility by simply paying off grieving families. That is why he believes families must say no to blood money.
Accepting it might give temporary comfort, but it also allows those responsible to walk free. True justice means asking hard questions, demanding real answers, and making sure that no more innocent lives are lost.
Only by refusing to be silenced can families honour their loved ones and stop this cycle of killings and cover-ups.
