Senator Demands Answers Over Deaths Of Woman In Custody And Student Shot During Saba Saba Protests In Laikipia

Laikipia Senator John Kinyua has demanded answers over the deaths of two young Kenyans during the July 7 Saba Saba protests in Nanyuki, Laikipia County.

Speaking in the Senate on Tuesday, July 23, Senator Kinyua raised concerns about the death of Ms Julia Njoki, 24, who died while in custody, and Mr Thomas Gachwara, a Form Three student, who was fatally shot during the demonstrations.

According to Kinyua, Ms Njoki was arrested during the protests and appeared in court on July 8, where she was granted a cash bail of Sh50,000. Unable to raise the amount, she was remanded at Nanyuki Prisons. On July 9, her family was informed that she had collapsed while in custody and was taken to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital with severe injuries. She later died from what preliminary medical reports indicate was blunt force trauma.

“These are not just tragic deaths. They point to a deeper crisis in how detainees are treated and how force is used during protests,” said Senator Kinyua.

In the same protests, 17-year-old Gachwara was shot by police officers in Nanyuki. The shooting has further fueled outrage among residents and rights groups who have accused police of using excessive force against unarmed demonstrators.

Senator Kinyua urged the Senate Standing Committee on National Security, Defence and Foreign Relations to summon both the Inspector General of Police and the Commissioner General of Prisons to explain the events surrounding the arrests, detention, and deaths of Njoki and Gachwara.

“The Committee must report to this House the extent to which the rights of the demonstrators were violated and what legal or disciplinary actions have been taken against officers found culpable,” he said.

He also called on the committee, chaired by Senator Fatuma Dullo, to establish whether the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched investigations into the conduct of police officers during the Saba Saba protests.

Kinyua said it was critical for the committee to look into the operational decisions made during the protests and push for disciplinary measures against officers involved in the deaths and brutality.