While covering a protest against police brutality in Nairobi, Kenya, AP photographer Brian Inganga captured a searing sequence of images showing a police officer shooting an apparent bystander in the head at close range.
The shocking photos, taken during a demonstration following the death in police custody of a blogger accused of defaming Kenya’s deputy police chief, were just the beginning of a dogged effort by Inganga to hold authorities accountable in a country with a long history of police violence.
Inganga, who has covered protests in Kenya for years, was in the right place at the right time—close to the action when the shooting happened. His images showed the moments before, during, and after the officer fired a shotgun at a man who appeared to be a vendor.
But Inganga didn’t stop there. He worked tirelessly to identify the victim and eventually learned that the man was alive but in critical condition at a Nairobi hospital.
When the victim’s father arrived at the hospital with human rights activists, Inganga was there to document the emotional scene. He also helped AP establish contact with the victim’s mother in her rural village, about two hours away. This enabled AP to report more deeply on the broader human impact of the shooting.
The next day, Inganga was in court, photographing the officers responsible for the shooting as they were arraigned.
Judges praised Inganga’s strong news judgment in capturing the images and his relentless pursuit of the story afterward.
For holding power to account with bold, persistent journalism, Brian Inganga is this week’s Best of AP — First Winner.
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