In Nakuru's London Estate, grief hangs heavily in the air as Daniel Nderitu's family prepares to bury their father, brother and hardworking breadwinner, whose life was tragically cut short by a police bullet.
Mourners shuffle silently through the narrow corridor leading to the family home, their faces marked by sorrow, disbelief, and unanswered questions.
The 45-year-old sand harvester was allegedly shot dead last Monday during a confrontation between the police and residents of Hilton estate, following an altercation linked to bribery claims.
Preparations for the burial of Daniel Nderitu at his home in London estate, Nakuru County on June 11, 2025. The 47-year old who was shot dead by police.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
According to one of Nderitu’s relatives, Patrick Kariuki, four officers — three men and a woman — arrived in a double-cabin vehicle at around 2pm and arrested a young man on suspicion of selling bhang.
When he resisted entering the police car, insisting that he was innocent, an officer struck him with an iron bar. His cries drew the attention of nearby residents, escalating tensions.
The police fired shots into the air to disperse the crowd. In the ensuing chaos, a stray bullet hit Nderitu, who was walking home from work.
“I was there. One officer fired in the air, but the lady officer pointed her gun at the crowd. Nderitu had just returned from the site and he was not part of the confrontation. After the shooting, the officers fled,” Mr Kariuki said.
Zipporah Njeri, Nderitu’s sister, said that she had heard gunshots from her house and rushed outside to find her brother lying in a pool of blood in a horrifying scene.
Zipporah Njeri on June 11, 2025 narrates how her 47-year-old brother Daniel Nderitu was shot dead by police in London, Nakuru County.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
With the help of boda boda riders, he was taken to Nakuru Teaching and Referral Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
“My brother wasn’t a criminal. He didn’t sell bhang and he was just coming home after work. Now his four children are orphans as their mother died three years ago. No one has explained why he was killed,” she said.
Njeri also accused police officers from the Central, Kaptembwa and Gioto stations of regularly harassing residents and taking bribes from drug dealers. She claimed that those who refuse to pay were often falsely accused of drug trafficking or belonging to outlawed gangs.
“They harass us because we live in the slums and we have no peace. Now they’re even shooting us. We deserve to be treated like any other Kenyan,” she added.
Patrick Maina narrates how his 47-year-old brother Daniel Nderitu was shot dead by police in London, Nakuru County.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
Nderitu’s elder brother, Patrick Mwangi, said that four witnesses had already recorded statements with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa), which has launched an investigation.
“Ten more witnesses are coming forward. Nderitu was a son, brother, and father. You can’t just kill someone and walk away. We want justice,” he said.
A post-mortem conducted by government pathologist Dr Titus Ngulungu confirmed that Nderitu had died from a single gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet, which had damaged his lung and aorta, was recovered and handed to Ipoa for ballistic analysis.
The killing sparked public outrage, with protests erupting the following day.
Young people blocked the Nakuru–Kabarak road, bringing transport to a standstill, and the police used tear gas to disperse the demonstrators.
Nderitu’s death adds to the grim tally of lives lost at the hands of security officers in Nakuru County.
According to the Missing Voices coalition, at least 26 people have died in similar incidents involving shootings, torture, and enforced disappearances since 2020.
Preparations for the burial of Daniel Nderitu at his home in London estate, Nakuru County on June 11, 2025.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
Nine people died in police-related incidents in Nakuru in 2020; four cases were reported in 2021, and this figure increased to 13 in 2022. Nationally, Missing Voices documented 168 cases in 2020, 219 in 2021 and 153 in 2022.
David Kuria, executive director of the Nakuru Human Rights Network, said that police killings persist despite President William Ruto's promises to end extrajudicial violence.
“In 2023, we recorded three deaths, two during cost-of-living protests and one in police custody. Last year, there were about 10 more, some linked to KWS and the Gen Z protests. This year alone, five people have died due to actions by police, KWS and the Kenya Forest Service,” Mr Kuria said.
Patrick Nderitu, a relative of Daniel Nderitu, speaks to journalists on June 11, 2025. His cousin was shot dead by police in London, Nakuru County.
Photo credit: Boniface Mwangi | Nation
“Every agency responsible is dragging its feet. Ipoa must expedite investigations and security agencies must stop these killings.”
Michael Mwaura, the Nakuru County Police Commander, confirmed that 10 officers had been arrested and interrogated by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in connection with the killing of Nderitu. Seven of the officers have been arraigned, but no charges have yet been brought.
