Mama Victor
Mama Victor | |
|---|---|
| Born | Benna Baluma |
| Died | 2024 (aged 52) |
Mama Victor, born Benna Baluma, was a Kenyan activist known for her work against police brutality.
Life
She worked for six years as a casual domestic worker in Eastleigh, a Nairobi's suburb area near to her neighborhood, Mathare, in Nairobi.[1] In August 2017, two of her sons, Victor and Benard (aged 24 and 22), were killed in post-election extrajudicial police executions in Mathare.[2][3] This led the Mathare Social Justice Center to contact Mama Victor while they were documenting extrajudicial violence in Mathare.[4]
From there, she became actively involved in the Center, founding and eventually serving as the coordinator for the Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network.[5] During her tenure as a primary organizer, the collective broadened its influence throughout various Nairobi neighborhoods, such as Kayole, Mukuru, Kasarani, Kibera, Kariobangi, and Dandora.[6] Mama Victor also supported the network's court solidarity and the Embu protest. The Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network documented her and other families' and victims' stories in its 2021 report, featuring how they became community defenders.[7]
In 2024, aged 52,[8] she was killed by floods that devastated Mathare, killing over 40 people in one night.[4]
References
- ↑ "The breaking point". africasacountry.com. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Mama Victor: A Champion for Human Rights | PBI Kenya". pbi-kenya.org. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ Ashly, Jaclynn. "The Kenyan mothers fighting to end police brutality". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- 1 2 "Mama Victor Tribute & Solidarity for Flood Victims". Mathare Social Justice Centre. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Mathare, Kenya Launches Network of Mothers of Victims and Survivors of Police Violence – RioOnWatch". Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Mama Victor -Statement On The Passing Of Benna Buluma "Mama Victor"". Defenders Coalition. National Coalition Of Human Rights Defenders. 25 April 2024. Retrieved 20 August 2026.
- ↑ "Mothers of Victims and Survivors Network". Mathare Social Justice Centre. Retrieved 21 August 2026.
- ↑ Wambui, Mary (24 April 2024). "Tragedy as woman who lost sons in poll violence dies in Mathare floods". The Eastleigh Voice. Retrieved 21 August 2026.