Gunmen kill university student in siege in hospital in Umoja

A university student was shot dead by a gunman he reportedly identified during a robbery in a hospital in Umoja, Nairobi.

Mr Rodgers Opiyo (pictured), a final year Accounting student at Meru University, was shot in the neck and died on the spot at the Phadam Medicare Hospital at about 7.30 pm on Wednesday.

Opiyo, 22, had gone to buy medicine for his ailing aunt when the two thugs armed with pistols struck.

The doctor on duty told police the gang came in posing as clients at the reception and their main pharmacy. They then ordered them - the doctor, guards, receptionists and two other patients - to lie down and surrender all their valuables and cash.

Opiyo glanced up, called out one of the robbers by name and questioned why they were stealing from him. Within seconds, the gunman pulled the trigger and shot him at close range before escaping with their loot.

Police arrived at the scene moments later but found the robbers had escaped. Buru Buru police boss Adamson Bungei said they were following vital clues.

“There will be justice to this incident. Efforts to get the gang is ongoing,” he said.

Bungei said the student had gone to the hospital chemist to buy medicine. “He called one of the suspects by his name, prompting anger and the shooting. This happened as they were robbing those on the floor,” said Bungei.

Fateful day

Opiyo’s cousin Michael Otieno said the student’s mother died when he was young. He grew up in Umoja where his aunt (his mother's sister) took care of him. He had been in Umoja since college closed last month in the wake of Covid-19 pandemic.

On the fateful day, Opiyo had been with his aunt in the house when she asked him to go and get her the medication.

“His dad lives in Kilifi with his other siblings and they received the news of the death long after it had happened. We do not know what to do next, but we demand justice,” he said. 

“Opiyo had planned to travel to Kilifi but could not because of the partial lock-down,” said Otieno.

Elsewhere, a man was shot and robbed of Sh350,000. The victim was taking the money to a bank in Kariobangi, Nairobi, when he was confronted by two men on a motorcycle.

Witnesses and police said the man resisted an order to surrender the cash prompting the gang to shoot him in the stomach. The gang grabbed the cash and sped off. A hunt was launched for them in vain. The victim was rushed to hospital where he is admitted in stable condition.

Meanwhile, two people were on Tuesday electrocuted in two separate incidents in Nairobi. One died as he repaired metal doors in a house in Ruaraka area, Nairobi. Police said the welder was on duty when he was electrocuted. The incident sparked the fire, which was promptly contained. Police said they are investigating the incident to establish how it happened.

Nairobi police boss Philip Ndolo said a team of experts is investigating the incident.

The second incident happened in Kariobangi where a water heater killed a woman. The woman is said to have been heating water in her house when the heater exploded. Ndolo said they were called and informed of the incident minutes after it had happened.