A family in Kirinyaga County is in deep mourning and frustration after the body of their 20-year-old daughter, Jackline Nyawira, who was shot dead during the recent Saba Saba protests in Githurai, Nairobi, is yet to be released from the mortuary due to postmortem delays.
Jackline, who was employed at a cyber café in Githurai 44, met her untimely death on July 7 while reportedly standing on her balcony. Her grieving mother, Purity Nyawira, revealed that her employer confirmed the café was closed during the protests. “She was not working that day. Her boss told us that she was shot while on the balcony of her flat,” said the distraught mother.
Her father, Jephita Njagi Kariuki, says the family’s efforts to conduct a postmortem have been frustrated by conflicting directives from the police. “I want to bury my daughter, but her body is still lying at the Kenyatta University Teaching, Referral and Research Hospital mortuary. The police keep taking me in circles,” he said.
Mr. Kariuki explained how he was sent back and forth between Githurai 44 and Kasarani police stations without any clear assistance. “When I go to Kasarani, they tell me to go back to Githurai 44. When will I bury my daughter?” he asked in anguish.
The residents of Mukithi and neighbouring villages in Kanyekiine ward, where Jackline hailed from, have joined the family in demanding answers and justice. Local leader Jesse Muthike urged Nairobi police and elected leaders to intervene. “We are calling on our leaders to help expedite this matter. We can’t plan a burial without knowing when the postmortem will be done,” said Muthike during a Friday night vigil in preparation for the burial.
The tragic case adds to the growing list of young Kenyans who lost their lives during recent anti-government protests. The Nyawira family now calls on authorities to speed up the postmortem process so they can lay their daughter to rest and begin the healing process.
