NHIF employee's last words, colleague recounts

Before they left the NHIF offices that Monday evening, the duo had requested a lift from Community area to Nairobi's central business district (CBD) from a driver attached to the company.

The driver, however, declined, saying he was heading for a meeting within the premises.

It was then that Waithera and Achieng opted to walk from Upper Hill to Nairobi CBD.

Everything seemed fine until the two got to Kaunda Street at around 5pm, when things took a drastic turn.

According to a statement recorded by Achieng at the Central Police Station on Wednesday evening, Waithera held her chest in pain. She, thereafter, collapsed.

"Nimeumia (I've been hurt)," she said shortly before thudding against the ground.

In a CCTV footage seen by The Standard, Waithera fell down moments after the bullet hit her.

All this while, people walking on Kaunda Street hadn't realised what had occurred. Everything happened so fast with little or no commotion.

Waithera appeared to be gesturing at her colleague, and soon two men joined in and helped pull her to the pavement.

Her colleague, Achieng, on the other hand, could be seen making frantic phone calls in what appears to be a plea for help.

Police would later arrive at the scene and take Waithera to the Nairobi Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Her body was then briefly moved to the hospital's morgue, and later transferred to the Kenyatta University Hospital mortuary.

Postmortem indicated that Waithera had a bullet lodged in her lung.

Police said the cause of death was recorded as gunshot injuries.

"A bullet head was found lodged in the lungs of the deceased," police said in formal records.

Authorities are now seeking to establish whether Waithera was assassinated or shot by a stray bullet.

The type of firearm used in the fatal shooting will also be of interest to detectives.