KNH clarifies bullet from Gikomba shooting was retained as evidence

On the afternoon of August 3, a single bullet traveled through the body of Moreen Nduku, a 44-year-old mother of one, and came to rest in the leg of Abdala Lihan, a 16-year-old boy. Both were at Gikomba Market that day on ordinary errands when police officers pursuing armed robbers opened fire near Daraja Ndogo Bridge. Four days later, Nduku died at Kenyatta National Hospital. The bullet lodged in Lihan's leg was removed during his treatment—and then, according to family members and human rights activists, it vanished.

The disappearance of the bullet raised immediate questions about evidence handling and police accountability. In the absence of clarity, suspicion filled the space. But on Sunday, the Kenyatta National Hospital issued a statement: the bullet had not disappeared. It had been retained and preserved as part of the hospital's medical records and as evidence, handled according to established procedure. The hospital said that recovered items of this kind are transferred to investigating officers through proper judicial channels for forensic examination.

The sequence of events that led to this moment began when police responded to reports of armed robbery at Gikomba Market around noon. According to police accounts, roughly seven armed robbers were terrorizing traders and the public. Officers on patrol encountered the suspects in the act of robbing people of their belongings. A warning shot was fired into the air. The suspects, police said, returned fire indiscriminately as they fled, triggering a brief exchange of gunfire. In the crossfire, two civilians were struck: one with wounds to the left buttock and lower abdomen, the other shot in the right thigh. X-ray images later confirmed that the same bullet had passed through Nduku's body before embedding itself in Lihan's leg.

Both victims were taken first to Pumwani Majengo Health Centre for initial treatment, then transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital. Nduku's condition deteriorated over four days in the intensive care unit. She died on Friday. Lihan survived, but the bullet removed from his leg became the focal point of a larger controversy about how evidence is managed and whether proper procedures were followed.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority launched an investigation into the incident. Police recovered a pistol magazine loaded with two rounds of ammunition from the scene, which they retained as an exhibit. No arrests were reported in the immediate aftermath. But the absence of the bullet—or the perception of its absence—drew the attention of human rights activists and Lihan's family, who alleged that a critical piece of evidence had been lost or deliberately concealed. The hospital's clarification attempted to address these concerns by confirming that the bullet had been properly documented, preserved, and handed over through appropriate channels. Whether that explanation satisfies the investigators, the family, or the activists watching the case remains to be seen as the inquiry continues.