Lilian Waithera: New Twist in Shooting of NHIF Staff, DCI Reveal Gun Used

A collage image of NHIF staffer Lilian Waithera who was shot dead along Kaunda Street in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD).
A collage image of NHIF staffer Lilian Waithera who was shot dead along Kaunda Street in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD).
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The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss, Mohammed Amin, revealed that the bullet found in Lilian Waithera's chest was fired from a pistol.

Addressing the media on Tuesday, February 21, the DCI boss stated that a ballistic report put to rest speculations that the National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) employee was shot using a rifle.

Consequently, the police ruled out the involvement of a sniper, with the investigations more inclined to an accidental shooting.

However, he maintained that the NHIF employee could also have been targeted, adding that they were following more leads.

A photo collage of detectives at Kaunda Street where Lilian Waithera was killed on February 16, 2023 (left) and a sniper on a building (right).
A photo collage of detectives at Kaunda Street where Lilian Waithera was killed on February 16, 2023 (left) and a sniper on a building (right).
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"The bullet head recovered was nine millimetres, a pistol. There are suspicions that perhaps there was a sniper. From my experience, I can say that was not the work of a sniper.

"Snipers will ordinarily use rifles with longer barrels for purposes of accuracy," Amin stated.

The DCI boss added that shot from the pistol may not have been heard at the time of the shooting owing to the noise at the crime scene. 

He divulged that the suspect who had earlier been arrested was released, given that the bullet was not fired from his gun.

Amin asserted that they were still reviewing the footage and talking to witnesses at the scene to establish what may have transpired on February 13 at 5:13 pm.

"We got intelligence that the suspect was around Muindi Mbingu Street while armed with a firearm.  The pistol was recovered from him for analysis. The pistol was not indeed the one that fired the pistol used," he stated.

Waithera was shot while walking home along Kaunda street in the Central Business District (CBD) alongside her colleague.

CCTV footage of the incident revealed that the deceased was hit by the bullet three seconds after 5:13 pm.

In the video, Waithera was seen coming to an abrupt stop, holding her chest. She then moved a step back and was helped by her colleague to move from the road to the sidewalk on the street.

Pistol
File image of a pistol
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