[PHOTOS] Cop arrested after fatally shooting boda boda operator at Mama Lucy Hospital

A police officer has been arrested after he fatally shot a man under unclear circumstances at Mama Lucy Hospital in Embakasi.

The unidentified Administration Police officer reportedly cocked his rifle and accidentally shot dead boda boda operator Daniel Mburu, 27, on Tuesday.

The incident prompted residents, who included boda boda operators, to stage demonstrations in front of the facility, which lasted close to four hours until the body was moved to City Mortuary.

The cop was immediately disarmed by colleagues and detained at Kayole police station. Prior to his arrest, he removed his official shirt and cap remaining with civilian clothes.

Nairobi regional police commander Philip Ndolo confirmed the incident. Ndolo also confirmed that the officer had been detained at Kayole police station as a matter of procedure pending investigations.

Ndolo said, "Some boda boda operators took a child who had drowned to the hospital. They were impatient and demanded that the patient be attended to by the doctors, but since there is a process to be followed in the hospital and doctors are busy, they caused chaos."

He added, "Critical Infrastructure police officers who man the area were called and found police already at the facility. Due to the melee, an officer cocked his AK47 rifle and shot the deceased killing him on the spot."

Ndolo said it was a stray bullet that killed Mburu.

Multiple witnesses interviewed by the Star gave different accounts of what happened.

One said the deceased was among four boda boda operators who had ferried a woman and her ailing child to Mama Lucy Hospital from Korogocho slum after he was saved from a nearby river.

 He said the officer shot Mburu after the two quarreled over gaining access into the facility with the motorbikes.

The hospital’s administration does not allow patients to be taken into the facility on motorbikes. 

 “Around four motorbikes gained entry into the hospital this morning. Two police officers from the Administration Police department ordered guards manning the gates to the eject the boda boda operators from the hospital, but unfortunately missed them since they had escorted the woman into the hospital for her child to be attended to by doctors,” the witness, who sought anonymity, said.

He added, “When the guards started pushing the motorbikes from where they had been parked, their owners emerged. An AP officer went there and slapped one of the operators before handcuffing him, others escaped on their motorbikes while the deceased ran away towards the main exit while attempting to escape after he refused to be handcuffed."

 The witness alleged that at that point, the officers ordered other security guards who were manning the gate to close it and block Mburu from leaving.

“He was arrested by the guards before the two cops took him to a security room at the entrance where one of them who had cocked his AK 47, shot him,” he said.

He succumbed.

The hospital’s management declined to comment on the matter.

Several residents fainted during the demonstrations after anti-riot police threw teargas canisters at them.

The deceased’s family called for justice.

Police moved the body to City Mortuary.