How eight labourers died under hail of night bullets

Gory circumstances under which eight young men died under a hail of bullets fired by police officers can be revealed today.

People Daily has obtained graphic details of the blood-cuddling deaths of eight casual labourers at the hands of their trigger happy killers, in Lunga Lunga slums in Makadara sub-county, Nairobi on Sunday night.  

In what seriously contradicts the official police accounts that the labourers were on a robbery mission, interviews with locals reveal that the labourers had made several trips to the godowns with the full knowledge of some officers at the Lunga Lunga Police Post, located about 150 meters away, according to preliminary investigations. 

The investigations also revealed that some police officers had been at the scene where the eight labourers were shot dead on Sunday night,  contradicting earlier reports that they were only responding to a police alert about an ongoing robbery at the scene.

On that fateful day, the labourers are said to have made three trips from the company which closed over three years ago, with full knowledge of the officers.

The persons had been hired to go and help with loading some scrap metal from Sihra Coffee Machinery Ltd on Lunga Lunga road by a man identified as Gakuru alias ‘Uncle’ or ‘Kabuda’, who was also shot dead.

Gakuru is the owner of the lorry, a white Isuzu HD registration number KAS 340M.

Though Industrial Area police initially reported that they were informed by the control room that some thieves had broken into the company, reports on the ground contradict this.

According to the locals and eye witnesses, since Thursday, hired labourers had been removing the metals from the building in broad daylight  and loading them onto the white Isuzu lorry registration number KAS 340M, with the knowledge of at least three police officers from Lunga Lunga police post.

Seven of the slain suspects, all from Sinai slums, had been hired by the owner of the lorry.

“The men who had worked on Thursday, Friday and Saturday could not be reached on Sunday, prompting Gakuru to hire a new team,” a resident told People Daily.

Fatally shooting

The mechanics around the building said on Thursday, the same lorry made one trip from the building and another trip the following day.

On Saturday, however, they only cut the metals into pieces so that they could fit in the lorry.

On the fateful day, the lorry made three trips at around 8am, 10am and 2pm respectively.

“There were police officers around who knew very well what was happening,” a source said.

The Makadara Sub-County Police Commander Abubakar Abdi had earlier said the labourers were found stealing goods from a company which was not guarded.

“They were challenged by officers to surrender but instead opened fire. The officers fired, fatally shooting eight of them. Four escaped and are believed to be armed,” Abdi said.

The lorry was usually parked a few metres from the building and would sometimes be parked near Mareba, according to the locals.

Detectives are also trying to establish reports that the lorry in question was one of the lorries that was used to ferry soil, from where three suspects dug a tunnel up to the strong room of Kenya Commercial Bank, Thika branch where over Sh50 million was stolen.

Gakuru, 45 is a resident of Mbotela Block C where he stayed with his wife and three children. 

A local elder said Gakuru had claimed that he was a reformed man after he voluntarily surrendered his illegal firearm following the government’s gun amnesty.

“He said he had changed and now focused on transport and selling water in Mbotela.

Everybody knew him and what he was doing including the police officers who he was very close to,” the local leader said.

The other deceased suspect has been identified as Boaz Nyando, 30 from Mahanga in Vihiga.

He was also approached by Gakuru who hired him as the lorry driver that day. The scrap metal was to be taken to a place along Jogoo road and near City Stadium.

The widow of one of the slain suspects, Nyambura, is a mother of a three-weeks-old baby. Early this month, she gave birth to twins at Mama Lucy Hospital but one of the children died.

Homemade pistols

Her husband, who the neighbours only knew as Richard, was a mason who normally stayed in the slums when he did not have a job. He too, was hired by Gakuru to help park the goods, at a fee.

“It is a sad day for the family. Three weeks ago, the family buried their child and a few months ago, their brother was also killed in an accident at Quarry stage along Outering road,” a resident said.

The Sinai Paradise A chairman Willy Ngereza, said the other victim was only identified as Mwendwa, aged 33. Very little was known about the mason who would always remain within the slum if he had no job.

“We only knew him as Mwendwa. He had told a friend that they were assured that the job was genuine and that some police officers had been informed,” he said.

According to the police, four suspects escaped during the shootout which they claimed led to the recovery of two homemade pistols and five pangas.

However, residents who talked to the People Daily dismissed reports that some of the suspects were armed.