Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has called for urgent police reforms and accountability following the death of 12-year-old Bridget Njoki Wainaina, who was shot during the recent Saba Saba protests in Kiambu County.
In an emotional statement shared on social media, Passaris expressed deep sorrow after watching the young girl’s funeral, saying the incident was a stark reminder of the need for immediate change in how protests are handled.
“My eyes burn. My heart is heavy,” she wrote.
“Watching Bridgit’s funeral on the news and seeing children mourn their classmate, her mother in unspeakable pain and a community shattered was utterly heartbreaking.”
Passaris laid out a six-point demand to the government and law enforcement agencies, including an official apology from the police, a transparent explanation of the circumstances surrounding Bridgit’s death and compensation for the bereaved family.
She also urged the government to equip officers with body cameras during public operations, restrict the use of live bullets in protests and provide proper human rights training to police.
“Bridgit is gone. We can’t bring her back. But if we care at all, things must change,” Passaris said.
She further emphasised that the police and the state must be held accountable for the tragedy.
Her statement comes amid growing public outrage over police conduct during protests that have gripped various parts of the country.
Rights groups and several lawmakers have also joined calls for independent investigations into recent protest-related deaths.
“Bridgit’s death must not be in vain,” Passaris said.
“The police must answer for their actions and the state must answer for the system that allowed this to happen.”
Bridgit was killed by a stray bullet while watching TV with her parents at their home in Ndumberi village, Kiambu, during the July 7 protest.
Officers allegedly fired a bullet during a confrontation with protesters outside.
The bullet pierced through the house wall and seriously wounded her.
“It was around 6:20 pm, when we heard a loud bang. On checking on my daughter, I saw blood on her hands and thought she had just scratched herself. But when I looked carefully, there was a hole in her head. I screamed for help, and her father came running,” Brigit’s mother, Lucy Ngugi said.
Ngugi added that their home is 2 kilometres from the main road where the protests were taking place.
The family rushed Wainaina to St. Bridget’s Hospital, where
she died while being resuscitated.
