Another Woman Killed by Police in Gikomba as Family Demand Justice

The family of Moreen Nduku is demanding justice after a stray bullet killed her and injured a 16-year-old boy during a shooting incident at Gikomba Market.

Nduku, a 44-year-old mother of one and a resident of Pipeline estate, died on Friday at Kenyatta National Hospital after receiving treatment for four days. The bullet passed through her body before lodging in the leg of Abdala Lihan.

The Gikomba shooting happened on Monday, August 3, when police officers entered the busy market while pursuing suspected phone thieves.

According to witnesses, the officers fired shots into the air, but one bullet struck the two victims, turning the operation fatal.

As the investigation continues, survivors are recounting the terrifying moment the shooting happened, with Abdala describing how the situation escalated from his hospital bed.

“We were heading to Gikomba and when we reached the bridge, we heard two gunshots fired in the air. We were then ordered to line up. There was a police officer holding a gun who told us that if we saw anything like that, we should pick it up for him. One young man picked it up, it was a magazine. The officer who had raised his gun handed it over to another officer and as he was inserting the magazine, the gun went off. The bullet passed through a woman’s stomach and then struck me,” he recalled.

Family Questions Police Conduct After Gikomba Shooting

Meanwhile, Abdala’s family is questioning the officers’ conduct during the operation. His mother, Stella Mwalimo, faulted the use of force and described what she considered suspicious actions at the hospital.

“I asked the officer, wasn’t there any other way you could have arrested him? Why did you have to use a gun? He told us they couldn’t tolerate them because they had been disturbing people at the bridge for a long time,” Mwalimo said.

She further alleged that the officers raised concerns about how doctors would handle the bullet before leaving the hospital.

“Before the officers left, they told the doctor to ‘handle that thing properly,’ but the nurse insisted that the correct medical procedure had to be followed,” she added.

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Mystery Surrounds Missing Bullet

However, the bullet now sits at the centre of the controversy. Medical reports indicate that it pierced Nduku’s body before lodging in Abdala’s leg.

Despite that, the family claims the bullet disappeared after doctors removed it, raising concerns about possible interference with evidence.

Activist Raises Cover-Up Concerns

Amid the questions surrounding the missing evidence, human rights activist and Vocal Africa CEO Hussein Khalid says the circumstances could point to a cover-up

“According to the family, the police officers were moving around asking about the bullet for several days asking when the boy would be taken to theatre and when the bullet would be removed. Then suddenly, the bullet is missing. That clearly points to a possible cover-up,” Khalid said.

“Now they have changed the story, claiming there were other criminals in the area with a gun who may have fired the shot. But if that’s the case, why did they come to the hospital asking about the bullet? And why doesn’t IPOA have it? Kenyatta National Hospital must respond to who that bullet was handed over to,” he challenged.

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Family Demands Answers Over Gikomba Shooting

Beyond the missing bullet, family members say conflicting accounts have deepened their pain and confusion. Nduku’s sister, Damaris Kieti, questioned how officers appeared to know details about the incident shortly after it happened

“There is something not adding up, they seemed to already know who had the gun and the bullet. How did they know who had it when they arrived? They came just about 10 minutes after, almost as if they had been informed,” Kieti stated.

Similarly, Nduku’s husband, Mwema, expressed frustration over what he sees as a changing narrative.

“The only thing I was told was that the officer even asked for forgiveness. He told me, ‘Sorry, the bullet was not meant for you.’ But now when I look at how the story is changing, it feels like something else happened and there is an attempt to cover it up. I am left wondering,” Mwema said.

As questions continue to mount, the family alleges that the officer involved worked at Shauri Moyo Police Station but says the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has yet to issue a statement on the Gikomba shooting.

Ultimately, the family wants authorities to establish what happened, account for the missing bullet and hold anyone responsible to account as they continue seeking justice for Moreen Nduku and Abdala Lihan.

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A photo collage of Moreen Nduku, a 44-year-old woman killed by a stray bullet during a Gikomba shooting and Abdala Lihan, who is nursing wounds at Kenyatta National hospital after the bullet that passed through Nduku’s body lodged in his leg on August 3, 2026. PHOTO/ Screengrab