Police in Kenya have launched an investigation into the mysterious death of a woman, identified as Jackline Mugure Maina, who was fatally shot in the neck by suspected police operative.
Mainz, 30, was shot in the neck in Kamukunji area of Nairobi. The deceased, a food vendor, was earlier believed to have been stabbed to death, last Thursday. She was riding in a tuk-tuk.
An autopsy, however, showed Maina died of blood loss after a bullet pierced through her neck. It was gathered that the bullet had been fired from a higher trajectory and was stuck in the backbone, the autopsy report showed.
A senior police officer termed the shooting ‘accidental’ and said they are investigating how and why it happened.
Nairobi police boss, Rashid Yakub, said they would ensure justice was done and saying, “We are open to any probe into this unfortunate incident.”
Mugure was in a tuk-tuk in the afternoon when she was hit by a bullet believed to have been fired by police chasing muggers on a rampage.
Plainclothes police were pursuing muggers who were attacking and robbing pedestrians when the woman was shot.
Witnesses said when Mugure was shot, the tuk-tuk stopped and she alighted, bleeding. She too thought she had been cut or stabbed.
She collapsed after a short while and was pronounced dead at the scene.
The incident sparked brief running battles between protesting hawkers and police.
They accused police of being trigger-happy and said guns should not be fired recklessly and not in busy places during rush hours.
Police later dispersed the crowd and took the body to City Mortuary for an autopsy.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority is investigating. Spokesman Dennis Okech said the probe file would be sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions.