A family in London ward is seeking justice for their 38-year-old relative, Felix Lung'aya, who was allegedly shot by a police officer on the night of January 12, 2025.

According to Mr Lung'aya, a bodaboda operator, on the fateful day he had picked up a customer at Rubis petrol station to take him to London estate.

After his trip, on his way back to his stage, he saw some commotion and decided to investigate what was going on.

"I was able to find out that the commotion was the result of police officers arresting a person allegedly linked to a motorcycle theft. While I was there, an officer ordered me to drop him off at the Gioto police station," he says.

The officer and the person he had arrested got on Mr Lung'aya's motorbike and he took them to the station.

On reaching the Nakuru-Kabarnet highway in the London area, Mr Lung'aya requested to drop his house key to his wife before proceeding to take the police officer and the other individual to the police post.

"I turned off my motorcycle and crossed the road to get to my house. As I was walking, I heard a loud noise and immediately felt a warm liquid running down my stomach. I immediately turned around and saw the officer behind me. I went into shock and collapsed," he said.

The policeman must have left Mr Lung'aya lying on the ground because it was only when he regained consciousness that he was able to drag himself to his house and ask his wife and neighbours for help.

Josephine Barongo (his neighbour) notes that after hearing a commotion in her compound, she went outside to see Lung'aya dragging himself on the ground. When she asked him what had happened, he told her he had been shot.

She immediately attended to him, giving him first aid to try to control his bleeding. They then went to report the incident at the Gioto police station.

"It was an officer from Gioto Post who called officers from Kaptembwo Police Station to provide the vehicle that was used to take Lung'aya to Nakuru County Teaching and Referral Hospital," says Ms Barongo.

According to Ms Barongo, before the Kaptembwo police arrived, some uniformed officers made their way to her compound. The one who is believed to have shot Mr Lung'aya asked if he was still alive.

When the officer realised that he was still alive, he started shouting at Mr Lung'aya, saying 'Wewe si ulikuwa unabeba wakora', implying that he was running away and had been shot on the run.

Rehema Oduor, narrating how his husband shooting has left her family struggling.

Photo credit: Purity Kinuthia/Mtaa Wangu

According to Mr Lung'aya's wife, Rehema Oduor, the incident has left them struggling financially.

The mother of five notes that her husband was their breadwinner and the extent of his injuries prevents him from working, leaving her and their children at the mercy of friends and family.

"I want justice for my husband and for the policeman who shot him to be brought to justice. It is absurd that people we expect to protect us as citizens can harm us without a second thought," she says in tears.

London Ward boda boda chairman, Daniel Juma, says police harassment is rampant in the area. In November last year, he says, another boda boda rider was shot by police in the Gioto area.

London ward bodaboda Chairman, Daniel Juma , says police harassment to boda boda operators in london area is on the rise. He wants IPOA to investigate the Gioto Police post on the shooting incident concerning their colleague.

Photo credit: Purity Kinuthia/Mtaa Wangu

"We want IPOA to step in and investigate Gioto police station because there have been many cases of police harassment and most of them are swept under the carpet. We want action as Kenyans who have raised our grievances. There is no way that a police officer would order a civilian to take him to his post in the company of an arrested colleague, then later shoot him and try to cover up his actions with more lies. We also want Lung'aya's motorcycle released from police custody," he says.

The Regional Coordinator of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Japheth Kaimenyi, confirmed that they had received the official report of the shooting incident from the Kaptembwo OCS.

According to the police report, it was a "serious injury from a shooting incident of a suspect namely Felix Lung'aya who sustained a gunshot wound after escaping from lawful custody in the London area. We are seeking investigations into the matter."

Mr Kaimenyi notes that they have launched an investigation into the matter to understand what clearly happened.

"The case is under active investigation. We have requested that all relevant documents, names of officers on duty that night, details of weapons issued to officers be sent for ballistic analysis," he says.

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Reitz Mureithi