A tragic incident at Gikomba market has left a family seeking justice after a police officer's bullet claimed the life of a mother, then seemingly vanished from the hospital where evidence should have been safeguarded.
Moreen Nduku, a mother of one living in Pipeline estate, was shot by a police officer during an operation at the bustling Gikomba market in Nairobi. She was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital where doctors fought to save her life, but after four days of intensive treatment, she succumbed to her injuries on a Friday. Now, her family is demanding answers and accountability for what they believe was an unjustified use of force.
The tragedy didn't end with Moreen's death. The same bullet that killed her didn't stop at her body—it passed straight through and struck a 16-year-old boy named Abdala Lihan in the leg.
The teenager was also rushed to KNH where doctors managed to remove the bullet and provide treatment. However, what happened next has raised serious red flags about a possible attempt to hide evidence.
According to the family's account, after the bullet was removed from Abdala's leg, it mysteriously disappeared. The family has alleged that the crucial piece of evidence, which could have proven what happened, went missing under circumstances that point to deliberate cover-up efforts. Reports suggest that the police officer involved in the shooting was attached to Shauri Moyo Police Station.
Human rights organization VOCAL Africa launched parallel investigations into the incident and uncovered deeply troubling findings.
According to their findings, officers from Shauri Moyo Police Station were seen loitering around the ward where Abdala was receiving treatment.
What made this even more suspicious was that these officers were repeatedly asking hospital staff when Abdala would be taken to the operating theatre.
For a family already grieving and confused, this behavior suggested something far darker than routine police business—it looked like an attempt to control the narrative and possibly interfere with evidence.
VOCAL Africa has also raised concerns about the glaring silence from the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority, or IPOA. This is the body mandated to investigate complaints against police officers and hold them accountable.
Yet, since the incident was first documented, IPOA has remained conspicuously quiet. For a case involving an alleged wrongful death by a police officer, this silence is deafening and raises questions about whether the investigation is moving forward as it should.
Kenyatta National Hospital, however, has come forward to clarify its role in the matter. In a statement seen by the media on August 9, KNH explained that the bullet recovered from the patient during treatment was not lost or discarded as alleged.
Instead, the hospital says it was retained and carefully preserved as part of the official medical and evidentiary records, following established medical procedures.
The hospital further stated that once the bullet was retrieved, it was eventually handed over for proper forensic examination through the appropriate legal channels.
According to KNH's explanation, this is standard protocol whenever medical professionals recover items during treatment that could be evidence of a crime, those items are kept safely and handed over to the relevant authorities for investigation. The hospital emphasized that this practice is followed by hospitals across Kenya in similar cases.
Despite KNH's clarification, the family's concerns about the circumstances surrounding the bullet's handling persist. The fact that police officers from Shauri Moyo were reportedly asking about Abdala's surgical schedule while a family member lay dead remains deeply unsettling.
It raises questions about whether the chain of custody for the evidence was truly secure, and whether external pressure or interference may have compromised the investigation.
Moreen Nduku's death stands as a stark reminder of the ongoing challenges surrounding police accountability in Kenya. While KNH has explained its procedures, the broader questions remain unanswered.
Why was the officer's shot fired in the first place? What was the justification? And why has IPOA's response been so slow? Her family, and indeed many Kenyans, are still waiting for the authorities to provide clear answers and ensure that justice is served.
Until then, the case of the mother from Pipeline estate and the mysterious disappearance of that crucial piece of evidence will continue to haunt those seeking accountability for what happened at Gikomba market.
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