The country is mourning the death of 12-year-old Bridget Njoki Wainaina, who was struck by a stray police bullet inside their home in Ndumberi, Kiambu, on July 7.
Wainaina, who had skipped school due to the tension following the July 7 Saba Saba protests, met her death after a stray bullet from the police got her while she was in the comfort of their home.
Speaking to journalists, Wainaina's mother narrated how the unfortunate events that led to her daughter's death unfolded. According to the mother, she was in the house with her children at around 6:20pm when they heard a loud bang.
''It was around 6:20pm when we heard a loud bang. On checking on my daughter, I saw that she had blood on her hands. At first, I had thought something had scratched her, but upon looking carefully, I noticed she had a hole on her head. That's when I shouted for help, and her father came in,'' the mother narrated.
The family hurried her to St. Bridget's Hospital, where doctors attempted to resuscitate her and prepare her for surgery. They discovered her heart had stopped beating. After multiple unsuccessful resuscitation attempts, the doctors had no choice but to declare her dead.
Filled with grief and pain, the pupil's mother has condemned the events that led to Wainaina's death, revealing that as a family, they have lost a very hard-working, respectable young girl, whose enormous dreams have vanished.
The unfortunate death has elicited mixed reactions among Kenyans and leaders who have condemned the rising cases of police brutality in the country.
Speaking on the death, Githuguri MP Gagthoni Wamuchomba condemned the killing and called out Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen for giving his recent shoot-to-kill order.
''I’m in pain and defeated to see many young people die from bullets during demonstrations. We can confirm that the recent order to shoot to kill by the Security Minister was taken seriously. But why shoot to kill an innocent girl?'' Wamuchomba wrote.
This is not the first time a pupil has died following the use of arms during protests. On July 1, 2024, during the Gen Z protests, 12-year-old Kennedy Onyango also lost his life in the same way.
On that fateful day, Kennedy had left the house to pick up a book he was sharing with a neighbouring classmate.
Unfortunately, he met his death on the way after he was shot eight times as the protests took an ugly turn, in a night riddled with violence, gunfire, and looting.
