Naivasha police shot man in unclear circumstances

A doctor attends to 33-year-old Josphat Gwandaru who was shot in the thigh by police in Kamere centre in Naivasha in unclear circumstances. Police claim he wanted to grab their gun but the victim denied this saying that he was in a bar with his colleagues when the incident occurred. PHOTO: ANTONY GITONGA

NAKURU: A middle aged man is nursing gunshot wounds at Naivasha sub-county hospital after he was shot by police in South Lake Naivasha in unclear circumstances.

The causal labourer identified a Josphat Gwandaru had his left leg shattered by the bullet during the incident in Kamere trading centre along the Moi South Lake road.

There were conflicting statements over the shooting with a police officer who declined to be named insisting that the suspect wanted to grab a gun from an officer during an arrest.

"Police had been tipped about a group of suspicious men in the centre and on confronting them one of the suspects went for the gun and he was accidentally shot on the thigh," said the officer.
The officer added that during the incident four suspects were arrested as the injured man was rushed to the Naivasha hospital.

But the victim denied this adding that they were playing poker in one of the bars when armed police officers moved in and ordered them to surrender.

He said that a commotion ensued with some of those present using the cover of darkness to flee before one of the officers opened fire.

"In the process some of my colleagues started fleeing from the bar and I followed them but one of the officers shot me without any provocation," said Gwandaru.

The superintendent Naivasha sub-county hospital Dr Joseph Mburu confirmed the shooting adding that the bullet had fractured the patients left hip.

He said that they were making plans to transfer him to Rift Valley Provincial General Hospital for specialized treatment.

"The bullet is still lodged in the leg and he requires special surgery so that the shattered hip bone can be repaired," he said.