Families of Nakuru nightclub shooting on Jamhuri Day demand justice

Families of the victims of the Nakuru club shooting that has so far claimed two lives are demanding justice.

Club owner Laura Kwasira, 31 – a PhD student and university lecturer – succumbed to bullet wounds while being treated at Nakuru Level Five Hospital.

Ann Wambui, 30, an attendant at Las Vegas nightclub, died on the spot in the Jamhuri Day shooting.

Constable Nicholas Musau reportedly opened fire indiscriminately, leaving one person dead and several others injured over an unpaid Sh13,000 bill at the entertainment joint.

The shooting took place around 3am when the Nakuru Central Police Station officer was confronted by a waiter about settling his bill.

A commotion erupted, leading to the shooting.

Read: AP officer shoots, injures man in row over face mask

Ms Wambui died instantly while three other people were seriously injured.

Mr Benjamin Kote, 27, was shot in his chest, Mr Edwin Apungana,33, sustained two gunshot wounds in the abdomen while Ms Kwasira was shot in the pelvis, abdomen and chest.

Ms Kwasira’s father, Dr Josephat Kwasira, yesterday demanded investigations and justice for her and the other victims.

“My daughter’s dream of a doctorate degree has been destroyed by bullets. Justice must prevail,” Dr Kwasira said.

His other daughter, Grey Mwana wa Rasoah, took to Facebook to pay tribute to her sibling.

“RIP my sister Laura Kwasira. Dance with the angels. May your killer never know peace,” she wrote.

The Las Vegas club owner was a mother of two.

Kwasira family lawyer Christopher Habashi called it extra-judicial killing.

“We condemning it. The law must now be allowed to take its course,” Mr Habashi said.

Kaswira was in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) for two days. She had five bullet wounds.

A postmortem conducted at Nakuru Level Five Hospital mortuary by Dr Titus Ngulungu shows she died due to severe bleeding.

Dr Ngulungu said Wambui died of massive blood loss due to a single gunshot to the chest. He added that she had cardiac muscle and lung injuries.

The report also shows that Wambui’s gunshot wounds were close-range discharge.

Read: Taveta sleuth kills man he claimed shot Flying Squad officer

The post-mortem on the bodies was conducted in the presence of close family members, officers of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) and human rights defenders.

Wambui’s father, Mr Paul Maina, said she had been working in Nakuru city as a bar attendant to provide for her three children aged,two, 12 and 13.

“My daughter was a single mother. I hope justice will prevail,” the elderly man said.

Wambui’s brother, Mr Peter Gachie, said she was hardworking and determined to keep her children in school.

“My sister was working in Kisumu before shifting to Nakuru three years ago where she opened a grocery stall before opting to work at the club,” Mr Gachie said.

“Wambui had a tendency to keep to herself but I always had my way of convincing her to talk to me.”

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki and Inspector-General of Police Japhet Koome condemned the shooting on Friday.

“We have no business with a police officer like the one here in Nakuru who takes a gun and goes into a club, drinks, refuses to pay the bill and then starts killing people,” Prof Kindiki said.

The sentiments were echoed by Mr Koome.

“When someone has been brought the bill but starts killing people instead of paying, we will not have to wait for Ipoa. He must appear in a court of law immediately,” the police boss said.

Mr Musau was arraigned in Nakuru court on Thursday. Police were allowed to detain him for seven days.

They will also record statements from witnesses and conduct a mental assessment on Mr Musau in that period.

The case will be mentioned on December 21.

[email protected]