Lilian Waithera: DCI Close Entire Nairobi Street To Determine Gunshot Location

Investigations into the mysterious murder of National Health Insurance Fund (NHIF) employee, Lilian Waithera, kicked into high gear after detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) closed the entire Kaunda Street in Nairobi Central Business District (CBD).

On Thursday, February 16, the whole street was deemed inaccessible to motorists as well as members of the public as the DCI officers spent their day on the street seeking answers to the Monday, February 13 incident.

Reports indicated that the officers also visited surrounding buildings along the street to triangulate the point where the mysterious bullet that was discovered in Waithera's lungs came from.

A photo of Lilian Waithera's portrait. /TWITTER

Additionally, the officers collected CCTV footage from the surrounding building as they sought to establish events before the 5 pm incident.

However, the police were hesitant to comment on their preliminary findings even as they promised to issue a detailed report in due course.

Waithera had collapsed and died as she was walking home in the company of her colleagues on the fateful day from the Upperhill area.

Eyewitnesses recalled that she clutched onto her chest when she fell to the ground. By the time an ambulance arrived at the scene, she was pronounced dead.

"The incident happened around 5:15 pm. The lady was in the company of her colleagues. Suddenly, she appeared to be shocked as she looked at the sky. We all thought it was a heart attack," an eyewitness recounted.

The victim's body was, soon after, transferred to the Kenyatta University Mortuary where an autopsy was carried out.

However, its results threw a sudden twist after the bullet was found in her lungs, despite eyewitnesses reporting not hearing a gunshot in the affected area in the city.

“The female NHIF staff who collapsed and died along Kaunda Street on Monday evening had been shot from an elevated angle. The autopsy revealed the bullet was lodged in her lungs," stated Adamson Bungei, a police boss.

“The bullet entered through the collar bone having been fired from an elevated angle."

Mystery emerged across the country following the police boss' finding over the source of the bullet and the possible preliminary location, with reports revealing that the assailant could have been a sniper who could have used a silencer to avoid drawing widespread attention, with a cartridge remaining in the gun, reports the police are yet to confirm.

At the time of her death, Waithera was a Registration Officer based at the NHIF Upper Hill branch office. A letter believed to be from Human Rights Watch (HRW), a global non-governmental organization, revealed that Waithera was a whistleblower in a Ksh1 billion corruption scandal.

However, NHIF dismissed some of the contents in the letter over the management of the national health insurer and urged Kenyans against speculating over her death.

"Our attention has been drawn by social media posts speculating her unexplained death. NHIF wishes to advise the members of the public to avoid speculation and to allow relevant investigative authorities to handle the matter. 

"NHIF Management wishes to request members of the public to accord the family of the late Waithera a chance to mourn their loved one and to exercise patience during this extremely difficult time," read the statement in part.

Laura Pitter, the Deputy Director of the US program at HRW would also dismiss the letter, adding that the NGO was investigating it.