An autopsy on Friday, March 7, revealed that a guy who was allegedly shot by police on Wednesday died from a gunshot wound to the stomach. This is in spite of police claims that he was stabbed to death.
The autopsy revealed that 26-year-old Dennis Muthui, who was allegedly shot by police in the Majengo neighborhood of Nairobi, was shot in the stomach at close range with a small caliber weapon, defying the police’s earlier assertion that he had been stabbed.
Police assertions that Muthui was stabbed by criminals have been refuted by a government autopsy, which found that he was shot at close range with a small-calibre handgun.
Dr. Johansen Oduor, the chief government pathologist who performed the autopsy, discovered that the bullet burst in Muthui’s stomach, leaving behind several pieces. According to Haki Africa Director Hussein Khalid, Oduor collected seven bullet fragments from the gun pellets and plastic shards found in his belly.
They were able to gather pellets from the stomach when the bullet detonated there. From the remains, at least seven pellets were extracted, according to Khalid.
Wednesday morning, when protests broke out following the police shooting of 17-year-old Ibrahim Ramadan, Muthui was shot dead in Majengo. The deadly shot, which hit Muthui in the stomach, was fired by a police officer, according to witnesses at the scene. They stated he died instantly.
“This obviously disproves the claims that he was stabbed,” Khalid told reporters. That he was shot and murdered is confirmed by this. The murderer described himself as a police officer, according to witnesses.
Hours later, the National Police Service released a statement asserting that Muthui had been stabbed; however, forensic evidence strongly disagreed with this account of events. His remains were brought to the Nairobi City Mortuary.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), which is currently looking into the murder, has received the postmortem results. The officer who is suspected of shooting Muthui has now been placed under arrest by police.
Muthui’s family calls for accountability and justice and urges that the authorities act quickly.
According to accounts, two to three people were killed and several others were injured during the demonstrations in the Majengo area. Widespread protests followed the alleged March 4, 2025, police killing of 17-year-old Ibrahim Ramadhan, which sparked the unrest.
There are differing reports on the death toll. Muthui was among the two people killed, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). Police apparently took the second body from the scene, but it is still unknown where it is. But according to some accounts, a third person died from gunshot wounds, making three people dead.
Additionally, the number of injured people differs from report to report. Six of the eight gunshot victims reported by KHRC were admitted to Mama Lucy Kibaki Hospital.
In contrast, the Kenya Red Cross stated that 37 people were treated, including two badly injured people who were taken to Pumwani Maternity Hospital and Kenyatta National Hospital.
