Police accidentally gun down a 16-year-old girl in Thika

Police accidentally gun down a 16-year-old girl in Thika

The family of a 16-year-old girl who was shot dead by a police officer on Friday evening in Kiandutu slum is crying for justice.

The girl was killed by a stray police bullet after mayhem broke out when the police allegedly visited a scrap metal site to collect a bribe.

According to locals, the officers found that the owner of the site was not in.

Chaos broke out as police attempted to arrest a woman who was working at the site, eliciting a reaction from locals who congregated to defend the woman.

After realizing that they could not arrest the woman easily, it is reported that the police officers shot in the air thrice to disburse the crowd.

The teenager, Caroline Wanjiku, was accidentally shot in the scuffle.

Residents rushed her to hospital for treatment, but Wanjiku died because of severe bleeding on the way to Thika Level Five Hospital.

The girl’s aunt, Peninah Wangui, said the scrap metal site stationed next to Wanjiku’s family home.

Peninah, who resides a few meters from the place at which the incident took place, says there was commotion yesterday outside her compound after which she moved closer to establish what had transpired.

It was then that she realized her niece had been shot.

Wanjiku’s father, Joseph Warua, says he was instructed go to Thika Level Five Hospital where he arrived to find his daughter had already passed on.

Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a, together with her counterpart Ferdinand Waititu, visited and condoled the family of the deceased. The called for justice on behalf the grief stricken family.

Speaking to the press, Ng’ang’a said that according to the information they gathered from the residents-the police are always there on Fridays graft.

The MPs appealed to the Inspector General of Police to ensure that the errant officers are prosecuted.

The two later led the residents to Thika Police Station to demand for the release of two residents who were arrested in mayhem.

Deputy OCPD Julius Kyumbule has released the tow and has promised to make a follow up on the matter.