Sylvester Muigai Ndung'u's mother said he went out on Tuesday to collect his school uniform from his aunt/BBC
An autopsy conducted on the body of 17-year-old Sylvester Muigai Ndung’u has confirmed that he died from a single gunshot wound to the head during protests in Nanyuki last week.
Government pathologist Peter Ndegwa, who conducted the postmortem examination on Wednesday, said the bullet entered above the left eye, travelled through the brain and lodged at the back of the head.
“The cause of death is head injuries due to a single gunshot, which got lodged there,” Ndegwa said.
He said the bullet did not exit the skull and was recovered during the examination before being handed over to investigators for ballistic analysis.
According to the pathologist, the gunshot caused extensive damage to the brain and fractured the skull at both the point of entry and within the head where the projectile became lodged.
“There was a lot of bleeding in the brain, and you can imagine the amount of destruction of the brain when the bullet was going through there,” he said.
Ndegwa said the projectile appeared to have come from a pistol, although he noted that ballistic experts would make the final determination.
“It looks like from a pistol, not a very high-calibre thing. I’m not very good at ballistics, but that’s my guess,” he said.
Muigai was reported missing after leaving home to collect his school uniform from an aunt.
His mother, Lucy Kagure, later found his body at a Nanyuki mortuary, where it had been recorded as that of an unidentified male.
The postmortem findings come days after conflicting accounts emerged over the cause of the teenager’s death.
Witnesses had claimed he was shot, while family members said police had suggested that his injuries could have been caused by a tear gas canister.
The protests, which had initially been planned as a peaceful march to deliver a petition against the proposed quarantine facility, turned chaotic after police blocked access to the site.
Demonstrators dispersed following the use of tear gas and water cannons, as protesters erected roadblocks and lit bonfires in parts of the town.
Muigai is among at least three people reported dead during unrest linked to opposition against the planned isolation centre.
The proposed facility has generated debate and concern among some residents and rights groups over public health risks.
Human rights groups, including the Kenya Human Rights Commission, have since raised concerns over the use of force during the demonstrations and called for accountability.
