The first-year Kenya Medical Training College (KMTC) student, who had just completed her examinations and was home to assist her mother, Caroline Akinyi, at their small business, became the latest victim in what human rights activists are calling a troubling pattern of police use of lethal force.

According to the National Police Service, the tragic chain of events began earlier that day when a member of the public reported at Huruma Police Station that five young men had attacked him, robbed him of a silver chain and Sh1,800 in cash.

Police arrested two suspects in the morning and apprehended two more around 7:30 PM.

The situation escalated during the second arrest when one of the suspects raised an alarm and incited other youths nearby, who responded by throwing stones and other projectiles at the police.

Officers reportedly fired warning shots into the air to disperse the crowd, one of those bullets struck Sheryl as she stood in her mother’s kiosk.

Caroline Akinyi received a phone call while visiting her younger child at school, informing her that her daughter was dead.

When journalists approached the grieving mother, she could barely speak before breaking down in tears.

Sheryl’s body now lies at the City Mortuary, awaiting post-mortem examination.

She was scheduled to complete her final exams on Monday, a day she will never see.

The shooting plunged Huruma into chaos that lasted through Saturday night into Sunday afternoon.

Youths threw stones at police officers, who responded with tear gas and live rounds fired into the air.

 The violence resulted in at least two public service vehicles being torched, another vehicle damaged, and the local police station vandalized.

Furniture lining Mathare Road was set ablaze and used as bonfire barricades while wholesale shops were raided for food and clothes.

Traders hurriedly closed their shops as the situation spiraled out of control.

Edwin Masibo, who was heading home along Kangundo Road around 8 PM, described the scene: “We stumbled on hundreds of youth looting and assaulting people.

They were taking away phones, wallets and IDs as shops were vandalized. It was complete chaos.”

Human rights activist Hussein Khalid of VOCAL Africa has alleged that officers initially resisted recording the incident in the Occurrence Book before yielding following public pressure.

The family’s first attempt to record a statement at Huruma Police Station on Sunday morning was reportedly thwarted, though they were eventually allowed entry around noon.

“We have spoken with the mother. The family has tried to access Huruma Police Station to record a statement and up to this point, the police have not allowed us in,” Khalid said, calling for immediate accountability and condemning police violence against innocent citizens.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority deployed a Rapid Response Team from its Nairobi Regional Office on Sunday to commence investigations into the fatal shooting.

In a statement released Monday morning, IPOA Vice Chairperson Ann Wanjiku Mwangi confirmed that investigators are actively gathering evidence, interviewing witnesses, and analyzing available samples and exhibits.

“IPOA extends its condolences to the family of Ms. Sheril Adhiambo, calls for calm, and assures the public and the bereaved family of its commitment to conducting independent, impartial, and thorough investigations to establish culpability and ensure accountability,” the statement read.

The National Police Service has urged residents to allow investigations to proceed peacefully.

Spokesperson Michael Muchiri acknowledged the tragic death while calling for de-escalation.

“The public is asked to allow the processes of transparency and accountability to take place and to desist from further acts of lawlessness.”

However, VOCAL Africa and other human rights organizations are demanding swift action.

The organization has pledged to support the Adhiambo family in seeking justice and is calling for the immediate arrest of the officer responsible for the shooting.

This incident has reignited the national conversation about police accountability and the use of lethal force in Kenya, particularly in informal settlements where similar tragedies have occurred with alarming frequency.

As investigations continue, one question haunts Huruma: How many more innocent lives must be lost before meaningful police reforms take hold?

The deceased’s body is at City Mortuary pending autopsy.

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The trial resumed on Monday, bringing chilling eyewitness testimony that paints a grim picture of alleged police brutality on the night of August 1, 2021.

Newton Kinyua, a security guard at Namuru Bar, told Justice Margaret Muigai that he witnessed the brothers being violently assaulted before being loaded into a police Landrover.

“Boniface and Mutura were with four others when they came out of Namuru Bar and Restaurant around 10 pm. They ran in different directions when they saw the police vehicle, as it was during the Covid-19 curfew. A police officer with a long stick jumped from the vehicle and attacked Boniface,”
Kinyua recounted.

He described how Boniface was struck repeatedly until he fell unconscious, after which another officer set upon Mutura with punches and kicks.

Kinyua, who had taken cover in a public toilet, said he could see everything clearly under the electric lights.

“The two officers picked Boniface from the ground and loaded him into the Landrover. They also helped Mutura to his feet and assisted him into the vehicle. I saw it speed off towards Kianjakoma Hospital. I noticed the vehicle leave the hospital after some time,”
he testified.

Kinyua told the court that both brothers were his friends and ran a butchery business at Kianjakoma.

He learned the following day that they had died.

During cross-examination, defense lawyers Martina Swiga and Danstan Omari questioned Kinyua’s ability to identify the officers or confirm the deaths.

“I did not see the police kill the two brothers, nor did I see them jump from the moving vehicle,”
Kinyua admitted.

The six accused, James Mwaniki Njogu, Benson Mbuthia, Consolata Kariuki, Nicholas Cheruiyot, Martin Wanyama, and Lilian Cherono, have consistently denied murdering the brothers while enforcing Covid-19 curfew rules.

Their plea was entered on August 17, 2021, and the case was later inherited by Justice Muigai following the demise of Justice Daniel Ogembo.

Prosecution testimony states that police were patrolling to enforce curfew regulations when they encountered the brothers, who were walking home after closing their business.

Reports indicate that some bars in Muchagori, Embu, were operating beyond the stipulated curfew.

The mother of the deceased testified that she had called her sons to close their business and return home early, but instead, she learned that they had been killed by police.

The incident sparked public outrage in Embu County, leading to demonstrations that resulted in the burning of a police vehicle.

The defense challenged the credibility of Kinyua’s account, arguing that the incident occurred at night, during rain, making it impossible for him to clearly see or follow the police vehicle.

“The witness is relying on what he heard and saw from a distance. It is not clear whether the brothers died in the vehicle or jumped from it,” defense lawyers submitted.

Justice Muigai directed that the trial would continue with further witness testimony on February 12 and 19, 2026, with the next hearing scheduled for February 5, 2026.

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Gachoka, who recently announced his candidacy for Nairobi Governor in the 2027 elections with KANU, affirmed his commitment to justice and public accountability on civil rights.

“This cannot be swept under the carpet,” he emphasized.

“As a society, we demand answers and transparency.”

Njoki, described by local activists as a “poet, advocate and voice of the youth,” was arrested amid mass protests against governance and police brutality.

She was initially booked at Nanyuki Police Station but, after failing to raise bail, set at KSh 50,000, she was remanded at Nanyuki Women’s Prison.

Reports from residents and family say she was beaten in custody and left unattended despite pleading ill.

She fell gravely ill, and although finally taken to Nanyuki Cottage Hospital, she died shortly after her arrival on July 11 .

While police maintain she died in prison after falling ill, not in a police cell, activists contest the account, citing eyewitness and family testimony to the contrary .

At the press’s briefing, activists representing local and national civil society groups called for an independent investigation and the prosecution of responsible officers.

One speaker, Grace Rene, recounted: “She was beaten with a blunt object… told the police she was not feeling well, but they neglected her.”

Nanyuki residents have vowed mass protests starting July 15 if authorities fail to act swiftly .

Gachoka, who recently joined KANU and declared his gubernatorial ambitions, used the platform to draw connections between political accountability and human rights.

Known for his bold stances, such as legal actions against the controversial JKIA-Adani PPP deal, Gachoka has built a reputation for challenging entrenched power .

“Public figures cannot remain silent when young lives are lost in custody,” he declared.

Gachoka announced support for legal challenges to ensure transparency and said he intends to use his platform to advocate for systemic reforms to bail laws and custodial oversight.

The Sabasaba protests, driven by youth discontent over economic hardship, corruption, and police overreach, have already claimed other lives, among them Albert Ojwang,fueling a nationwide outcry .

Civil society organizations such as the Kenya Human Rights Commission have likened Njoki’s death to custodial torture, highlighting a pattern of unchecked violence in detention settings .

A former top aide to Raila Odinga, Gachoka rose to prominence in media as the host of KTN’s “Point Blank” talk show and once served as Chief of Protocol in the Prime Minister’s office .

He has since shifted to active politics, recently joining KANU and announcing his bid for governor .

He also took leadership in challenging the JKIA concession agreement,filing a court petition over alleged opacity in the Adani PPP deal and previously fought political marginalization as a disabled rights advocate when excluded from party lists .

With protests looming and a press briefing marking a turning point, the release of an official autopsy, disclosure of bail records, and suspension of implicated officers will likely determine whether the state responds or suppresses dissent.

Gachoka has pledged ongoing oversight and legal advocacy as part of his campaign platform.

“Democracy isn’t just about ballots,” he said.

“It’s about the dignity and safety of every Kenyan.”

For Njoki’s family and grieving youth, today’s words may mark the start of real accountability, or the next point of failure.

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