The cries for justice echo profoundly across Kiambu County, as families grapple with unimaginable loss after six individuals, including a 12-year-old girl, were killed by police during the Saba Saba Day protests in June 2025. The horrifying incidents have amplified a question silently and loudly asked by citizens nationwide: "Where are Kenyans safe?"
Among the innocent victims is 12-year-old Bridget Njoki, who tragically lost her life while watching TV at home in Ndumberi village. Her heartbroken mother, Lucy Ngugi, recounted the harrowing moment: "It was around 6:20 pm, we were at home as a family when a stray bullet penetrated our house and caught my daughter on the head." Despite their home being two kilometers from the main road where protests raged, safety proved elusive. Njoki succumbed to her injuries while being resuscitated at St. Brigid's Hospital.
Another young life abruptly ended was that of Dennis Mutuma Mwangi, 23, shot dead outside his home in Kiambu town. His mother, Friday Kawira, tearfully described the scene: "My son was shot from the back, meaning he was running away and it came through to the neck killing him instantly right outside our home." She adamantly asserts her son was not protesting but had merely stepped outside to observe the unfolding events after washing his clothes. Similarly, Laban Kamau was also fatally shot in the head in Ndumberi village, leaving his mother, Margaret Wangui, in profound shock. "Ndumberi is a village and not town center," she lamented. "It is so hurtful since my son is not a criminal to be gunned down like that."
The scale of violence also left 18-year-old Kevin Muiruri with gunshot injuries to his left leg after being shot in Kabete constituency while fleeing the skirmishes.
These grieving families, burdened with mortuary and post-mortem bills from Kiambu Level Five Hospital, are united in their demand for the government to cover medical and burial expenses. They vehemently argue that the "impromptu killings were uncalled for since live bullets were used by police to disperse protestors." Former Kiambu MP, Jude Njomo, who visited the affected families, has strongly echoed calls for an independent investigation into these tragic events, underscoring the urgent need for accountability and a re-evaluation of police conduct during public demonstrations.
