This archive report was first published on 26 September 2021.
On September 25, 2021, a violent confrontation between boda boda riders and police officers in downtown Nairobi left a rider dead and an officer fighting for his life at Nairobi West hospital's ICU.
According to eyewitnesses, the incident began when 30-year-old Rabin Patel Ogeto was stopped by a police officer for riding on the wrong side of Kirinyaga Road. The officer allegedly demanded a bribe, which led to an altercation and the fatal shooting of Ogeto.
However, Central Police Deputy OCPD Dorris Kemey disputed this account, stating that the officers were attacked by a group of boda boda riders while trying to rescue one of their colleagues, Elijah Mutunga, who had been assaulted by the mob.
As the situation escalated, a protestor attempted to snatch Mutunga's gun, leading to a struggle in which the rider was shot. Kemey noted that the circumstances surrounding the altercation and the fatal shot were unclear.
The Inspector-General of Police has launched a thorough investigation into the incident, involving independent bodies such as the IPOA and Internal Affairs Unit.
“The police officer is right now admitted at Nairobi West hospital in critical condition at the ICU. We are going to do thorough investigations. The Inspector-General of Police has already called in all the agencies involved, that is the IPOA and Internal Affairs Unit because these are independent bodies,”
Deputy OCPD Dorris Kemey said.
