A 24-year-old man from Rukanga Village in Mwea, Kirinyaga County, is demanding justice after sustaining gunshot injuries during the recent Sababa protest.
Douglas Kamau says he narrowly escaped death when a bullet struck his arm and ribs, allegedly fired by a police officer from Makutano Police Station.
He was discharged from a private hospital in Mutithi after spending a month undergoing treatment.
Kamau, who claims he was not part of the protest, says he removed the bullet himself three days after the incident.
“We were not in the protest but the police shot at us. We need justice. I’m still in pain as I try to come to terms with the loss of James Muriithi, who died in the hospital,” he said, adding that three people in the same hospital had sustained gunshot wounds, one of whom succumbed.
The victim says he and his friend have been unable to obtain a police Occurrence Book (OB) number from Makutano Police Station in Mbeere South Constituency, which neighbours Mwea Constituency in Kirinyaga County.
“President William Ruto has said he has set up a team to compensate protest victims, but I’m worried because I don’t have a police OB number,” Kamau said.
Family and friends, led by Ngirigacha Nduthi, are also calling for accountability.
“We are crying for justice for the three people who were shot in Rukanga at Makutano, and for the two who survived to be issued with OB numbers so they can fight for justice as the Head of State sets up a team to compensate them,” said Mr Nduthi.
The family says 41-year-old James Muriithi died from a gunshot wound to the stomach and excessive internal bleeding.
According to reports, five people were killed in Kirinyaga during the Sababa protest, which came as demonstrators marked the anniversary of anti-government protests that left more than 60 people dead last year.
Kamau says he now depends on well-wishers for support as his injuries have left him unable to work. “I’m lucky to be alive, though right now I can’t go back to the local milk factory where I used to wash cans,” he said.
