A post-mortem examination has confirmed that 12-year-old Bridgit Njoki died from a bullet wound, a devastating revelation that intensifies concerns over the ongoing protests and police conduct. The bullet, found lodged in her skull, has been recovered and handed over to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
Dr. Mulu from the Independent Medical Legal Unit, who conducted the autopsy, confirmed that the fatal injury was consistent with a gunshot wound to the head.
Bridgit Njoki Wainaina was inside her home in Ndumberi, Kiambu County, watching television with her parents on July 7 during the “Saba Saba” protests when a stray bullet, allegedly fired by officers confronting protesters outside, pierced through the house wall and fatally struck her.
Lucy Ngugi, Bridgit’s distraught mother, voiced an unimaginable pain that resonates deeply across the nation.
“I may not get my girl back but let my daughter be the last sacrifice because of maandamano,” she pleaded, her voice heavy with sorrow.
“I wish she was playing outside, but inside our house where I thought she was safe? What madness is in this country?”
Her plea comes as the tragic incident adds to the grim toll of the Saba Saba protests, where more than 30 people were reportedly killed. ‘
International Justice Mission (IJM) has vowed to follow up on Bridgit’s case and others, pledging to ensure justice for her family and the many others mourning similar losses.
“I want to tell our leaders that there is nothing as painful as burying your own child,” Lucy Ngugi implored, urging an end to the violence.
“I urge the leaders to settle the madness in this country. Let there be no other child dying in this way.”
Meanwhile, earlier on Wednesday, President William Ruto issued a stern directive to police officers, instructing them to shoot in the leg any individuals caught looting businesses or vandalizing property during protests.
Speaking at the commissioning of a police housing project in Kilimani, Nairobi, the President emphasized that the aim was not to kill, but to incapacitate violent offenders.
“Anyone who burns down someone else’s business and property, let them be shot in the leg and go to the hospital as they head to court. Yes, let them not kill, but shoot and break the legs. Destroying people’s property is not right,” President Ruto stated.
He also issued a strong warning to unnamed political leaders he accused of inciting youth to violence, further escalating tensions.
The nation now looks to IPOA and the authorities to swiftly bring the perpetrator of Njoki’s death to justice, even as the President’s controversial directive raises new questions about protest management.
