Woman dies in hospital after being shot by police, family seek justice

Victor Muteti, husband to Maureen Nduku, who succumbed to bullet injuries after being shot in Gikomba by police attached to Shauri Moyo Police Station. [Kanyiri Wahito, Standard]

A 44-year-old woman died at Kenyatta National Hospital early Friday after succumbing to a gunshot wound she sustained during a police operation earlier in the week.

The Monday shooting at the Gikomba Market claimed the life of Maureen Nduku Nzwile, while left 16-year-old Abdallah Lihani is still fighting for her life at the same hospital.

According to eyewitnesses, officers attached to Shauri Moyo Police Station were responding to a distress call about suspected phone snatchers.

It is reported a bullet from one of the officers discharged and hit Nduku on the back and exited on her abdomen then landed on Lihani’s thigh.

The two were rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital, where Nduku succumbed, but her family now claim there is an alleged cover-up after some officers visited her and apologised.

But what remains a mystery is that the bullet that has now taken Nduku’s life is missing. They claim an unidentified man who was in black suits and a face mask visited the hospital and took the ammunition.

"I spoke to my sister after she came out of the theatre and she told me that police officers had come to her ward, asked for forgiveness and that she could recognize them," said the deceased's sister-in-law Margaret Kieti.

The families have since lodged a formal complaint with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which has launched investigations into the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

"Since the bullet that is involved is one IPOA opened one file for the case," said the victim's family.

Following Maureen's death and Abdallah's injury, the family called on Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to take action against rogue police officers and ensure that firearms are entrusted only to officers capable of handling them responsibly.

At the same time, the families of the victims together with human rights organization Vocal Africa are seeking answers from Kenyatta National Hospital over a bullet removed from the victim of a shooting incident.

“According to families, that bullet was removed and up to this point in time, we don't know who took the bullet,” Vocal Africa Chief Hussein Khalid said

He added, “Cases of police excesses are investigated by IPOA and we have confirmed from IPOA that they do not have the bullet,” he said.

According to Khalid, the family told him that officers from Shauri Moyo Police Station had repeatedly been at the hospital asking about the bullet and when the victim would be taken to the theatre.

He also questioned a change in the account of what happened during the shooting since there has been an attempt to link the shooting to the criminals yet some officers have visited the deceased asking for forgiveness.

Khalid said the bullet should have been preserved as evidence and handed to IPOA for investigation.

“That bullet is supposed to be given to IPOA and the hospital should answer. We are appealing from the topmost office in this country, to Murkomen, to everyone else. This is an acid test for you,” he said.