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A stray bullet fired by cops may have shuttered the dreams of Annabelle Ngare, a budding basketball player.
The events of February 6, 2015 are still fresh in her mind.
Annabelle, 23, had just worked for three weeks as a medical practitioner. The Western Delight basketball premier league player had no idea a stray bullet would change her life.
Annabelle had just dropped her younger brother at Strathmore University and decided to pass by Ngara for some shopping. From there, she intended to proceed to her house in Thika.
“I was shopping for a pair of jeans from the hawkers at around 4pm when I noticed some commotion. People were running, but I was too shocked to move. I fell to the ground and could not stand up since my left leg felt heavy. I asked some women who were standing next to me to help me, but they ran away. That’s when I realised I was lying next to someone who had fallen to the ground,” Annabelle told The Nairobian.
She claims that policemen sprayed the man lying besides her with bullets and got her all covered in blood.
“I gathered some courage and held the hand of a policeman in plain clothes. He was shooting at close range. I begged him to help me but he dismissed me claiming I had just peed on myself,” she said.
By now, a crowd had gathered around Annabelle but were scattered by police who shot in the air each time someone attempted to help her.
“Two women decided to help me. They dared the police to shoot them. They carried me to a shade, where I called two of my friends who unfortunately told me they were held up somewhere,” she said.
A passerby then rushed her to Guru Nanak Ramgarhia Sikh Hospital. According to her clinical diagnosis seen by The Nairobian, Anabelle suffered penetrating bullet wounds in her pelvic region. Her rectum was damaged and uterus scratched.
Annabelle has been through one surgery already and is yet to undergo two more which will cost her Sh500,000.
She is yet to report the incident to police station as she is very scared. She cannot identify the plain clothed policeman who shot her, but she claims that he is based at the Central Police Station.
Guru Nanak’s staff, Michael Nikol, told The Nairobian that, “We always inform the police about gunshot wounds. We cannot give further information without the patient’s consent.”
Entertainment for Fun and Charity (EFC), a celebrity basketball unit, has been on the forefront pushing for Annabelle’s story to be heard.
“We knew Annabelle before the incident. We will be hosting a fundraiser basketball tournament on May 1 at Sunrise estate in Imara Daima. Proceeds from the event will go towards her hospital bill,” said DJ Kaydee, a member of EFC.
When contacted by The Nairobian, Police Spokesperson Zipporah Mboroki said:”No hospital can agree to treat a gunshot wound without an official report from the police. We also don’t have any complaint from her. Why hasn’t she reported to the Independent Police Oversight Authority if she is too scared to go to the police?” she questioned before promising to follow-up on the matter.
