A senior police officer who shot and injured Whitney Atieno, a 19-year-old Nakuru girl, refused to take her to the hospital where she later succumbed to the gunshot injury while receiving treatment.
Details have emerged about how it took the officer two-and-a-half hours to decide to take Atieno for treatment after the shooting incident at Nakuru’s Lake View Estate last Sunday.
Atieno was shot during a security operation to arrest suspected criminals in the city.
Family and friends who witnessed the shooting said the officer who fired the fatal bullet refused to take her to hospital using an official car that had ferried police officers to the scene.
The officers had been deployed to the estate for an operation to arrest members of an outlawed criminal gang, locally known as ‘Confirm’.
According to Atieno’s sister, Roselinda Apondi, police continued to engage the gang even as the teenager lay on the ground writhing in pain in a pool of blood.
“My sister was twisting; squirming in pain on the ground and screaming for help as the officers ignored her. She lay there as the officers, including the one who shot her, chased after the gang members,” she said.
Amid the tension, confusion and sorrow, a brave young man lifted Atieno, carried her to the police vehicle and demanded the officer take her to hospital.
But the senior officer who shot her ignored his pleas, became harsh and started being violent, said Apondi. “The officer not only became arrogant, he also wanted us to fuel his car or use a motorbike to rush my sister to the hospital,” she said.
Apondi told The Standard that the officer wanted to beat the man who was helping Atieno, who was bleeding profusely.
But following an outcry by angry members of the public, the officer was forced to take Atieno to the Rift Valley Provision General Hospital.
The hospital, however, refused to admit her, saying medical procedure dictated that she obtains a ‘police report’, said Apondi.
The report, known as ‘P3’, is usually prepared by the police to clear hospitals to attend to patients with bullet wounds.
The police diverted the vehicle to Bondeni Police Station, where Atieno had to wait for another 30 minutes for the report to be generated.
The hospital’s medical superintendent Aisha Maina said their emergency team received Atieno past 6pm, three hours after she was shot.
“We had to do investigations before she could be admitted at the female ward,” said Dr Maina.
Atieno, a Form Four candidate at Nakuru Central Secondary School, had visited the saloon to look presentable for school on Monday.
The bullet that hit her went through the left side of the stomach, just below the chest, before it hit her friend and classmate Ruth Waithera, fracturing her left hand.
Waithera was by yesterday recuperating at the hospital. Atieno succumbed to her injuries at 8pm, while awaiting surgery.
The officer who fired the gun insisted that it was an accident and blamed gang members for what happened.
Atieno’s violent death has sparked outrage in the community with residents baffled as to why police would open fire at an unarmed teenager.
“This was a good girl who was talented and on her way to better things,” said Solomon Kabue, a teacher at Lake View Primary School, where she attended her primary education.
Meanwhile, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) has promised to investigate the fatal shooting.
Ipoa chairperson Anne Makori, in a statement released yesterday afternoon, Ipoa confirmed that the police could have been involved in the shooting that lead to Atieno’s death.
“Where criminal culpability is established, the authority shall make recommendations, including prosecution of the officer involved,” reads the statement.
Ipoa has interviewed witnesses and contacted police officers, including commanders.
“Other procedures are being followed, with the aim of obtaining all information and materials relevant in unraveling circumstances surrounding the incident,” reads the statement.
Ipoa says it has spoken to some members of Atieno’s family.
Police were quick to claim that she was hit by a stray bullet from the gun of a senior police officer.
“The police had no intention to shoot and kill the girl as they were employed to protect rather than kill,” said Werre Simiyu, assistant County Commissioner Nakuru West sub-County.
