NAIROBI, Kenya — Grief turned into rage in Kiambu Town on Tuesday, July 8, as hundreds of residents flooded the streets to demand justice for a 12-year-old girl killed by a stray bullet during Monday’s Saba Saba protests.
The atmosphere was thick — not just with smoke from burning tires, but with anguish. According to witnesses, Kiambu-Limuru Road was quickly transformed into the epicenter of unrest.
Protesters blocked roads with bonfires, and although there were no major incidents of vandalism, tension ran high.
The spark behind it all? A heartbreaking story that has shaken the town to its core.
The young girl, whose name is being withheld for privacy, was reportedly sheltering at home with her mother during the protests when a bullet tore through their safety. What began as a loud bang outside turned into tragedy in seconds.
“We were at the house with my daughter around 6:20 p.m. when we heard a bang,” the mother recounted. “I saw her with blood on her hands. At first, I thought she had cut herself. But then she collapsed — there was a hole in her head.”
The family rushed her to St. Bridget’s Hospital, where doctors attempted to resuscitate her. But her heart had already stopped. After multiple attempts to revive her, she was pronounced dead.
Her death adds to the rising casualty count from Monday’s Saba Saba demonstrations, which swept across multiple counties. Kiambu, however, was one of the worst-hit. Local reports suggest she was among several feared dead following clashes between police and protesters.
Earlier in the day, police had already barricaded key roads into Kiambu Town, including areas near Thindigua, possibly anticipating unrest. But by afternoon, those efforts were overrun by crowds, many marching with placards and chanting for accountability.
Along stretches of Kiambu Road, groups of civilians could be seen marching from residential estates into the town center, bringing movement to a crawl.
Several business owners claimed they were ordered by police to close shop, further feeding the mounting frustration.
This latest incident adds pressure to law enforcement agencies already under scrutiny for alleged use of excessive force during protests. Rights groups have flagged a disturbing rise in police-related casualties, especially among young people.
For residents of Kiambu, though, the pain isn’t about statistics — it’s about a 12-year-old girl who never made it to see another sunrise. And as the protests continue, her name has become a rallying cry for justice, not just in Kiambu but across the country.
