Postmortem Confirms Teen Was Fatally Shot During Nanyuki Protests
A postmortem has confirmed that 17-year-old Sylvester Muigai Ndung’u died from a single gunshot wound to the head during recent demonstrations in Nanyuki.
Government pathologist Peter Ndegwa said the bullet entered just above Muigai’s left eye, passed through the brain and lodged at the back of the skull. The projectile was recovered during the examination. Ndegwa said the injury caused extensive brain damage and skull fractures.
While he noted that the wound appeared consistent with a pistol shot, he said ballistic experts would make the final determination. Muigai’s death has caused significant distress for his family.
He was last seen leaving home to collect his school uniform from a relative. His mother later found his body at a local mortuary, where he had initially been recorded as unidentified.
Witnesses at the protest said he had been shot, while some family members reported that police officers suggested his injuries may have been caused by a tear gas canister. The postmortem findings have now confirmed that he died from a gunshot wound.
The demonstrations were triggered by opposition to a proposed quarantine facility in Nanyuki. The protest began peacefully but escalated after police blocked access to the site and used tear gas and water cannons. Protesters responded by setting up barricades and lighting bonfires. Muigai was one of at least three people reported dead during the unrest.
His death comes as concerns continue to grow over disappearances and unexplained deaths across Kenya. Kathiani MP Robert Mbui, who is also the Deputy Minority Leader in the National Assembly, said recent discoveries of bodies in Kitui and his constituency pointed to a troubling pattern.
He said people who disappear or are abducted are increasingly being found dead in different parts of the country. Mbui criticised what he described as slow and inconclusive investigations, arguing that the lack of accountability weakens public confidence in security agencies.
He said the issue goes beyond politics and directly affects the safety and constitutional rights of citizens. Civil society organisations have also called for transparent investigations into both Muigai’s death and reports of disappearances.