Families seek justice over Ishiara killings as anger mounts

Two families in Ishiara, Mbeere North, Embu County, are mourning the loss of their sons after police allegedly shot them dead during a protest on Tuesday, as anger grows over what residents describe as excessive force against unarmed demonstrators demanding better healthcare services.

Patrick Munene Kariuki, 21, and Morris Mugo Njoka, 32, were killed when officers fired on protesters calling for urgent improvements at Ishiara Level 4 Hospital.

Witnesses and relatives insist the demonstration was largely peaceful until police intervened. Residents say they had notified authorities and followed a pre-agreed route starting from Ishiara Catholic Church, along the main road to the goat market, and ending at the hospital gate.

The protest turned tragic near the hospital when officers allegedly used tear gas and live rounds, scattering the crowd. The families are demanding a thorough probe by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and accountability for what they describe as police brutality amid long-standing grievances over the hospital’s deterioration.

Outside a newly built three-bedroom house in Ishiara, family and neighbours gathered to mourn Patrick Kariuki, who had recently completed his studies and was beginning to establish himself.

His mother, Nancy Karimi, struggled to contain her grief as she recounted his final hours. “I woke up as usual, sold charcoal at the market, bought milk for tea and asked him to pick it up before I went to work,” she said, her voice breaking. 

“Later, he left home for his business but didn’t open because of the planned protest.”

Karimi said Patrick had helped build their new home and was not involved in any violence. “He was innocent. He was not rioting. I just want justice for my son.”

Patrick’s uncle, Patrick Kimanthi Joseph, confirmed the protest was formally notified to Ishiara Police Station, with the route approved. Tensions rose when protesters reached the hospital gate, where they planned to address the media.

“Police scattered them. Patrick was shot in the mouth between the hospital gate and Peter’s Upper Primary. Two teeth were knocked out and the bullet remained lodged,” he claimed.

The family urged immediate action: “No political leader has even come to console us. Ipoa must investigate before the postmortem.”

In Karuri village, another family grieved breadwinner Morris Mugo Njoka, a 32-year-old water engineering student. His mother, Margaret Igoki Njoka, was at the market when the protests began.

“They were peaceful,” she said. “My son heard the commotion and went to see what was happening. Minutes later, I got a call that he had been shot dead by police.”

She added: “He had no weapon. He was our provider. I struggled to educate him for four years. All I want is justice.”

A relative, Morris Mukundi Gitonga, who joined the protest, described how events escalated: “We were marching happily until we reached the hospital gate. Police ordered us to stop the press briefing, then returned with tear gas and fired in the air. My uncle had briefly left for the market but came back after hearing gunshots and was shot.”

Residents painted a dire picture of Ishiara Level 4 Hospital, accusing the Governor Cecily Mbarire administration of reducing the once vital facility to a “shell” after two years of decline: no medicine, chronic water shortages, severe understaffing, and no ambulance or emergency services.

Karimi said frustrations boiled over: “There is no medicine; we are told to buy outside at high cost. There is no water; I had to carry it from home for my admitted sister. Women are even giving birth on the floor.”

Despite contributions to the Social Health Authority (SHA), services remain unavailable, forcing residents to seek care elsewhere, often in Kamundu.

Kimanthi added: “The situation has deteriorated badly. We were protesting to demand that the hospital be fixed and an ambulance provided.”

Igoki was even more blunt: “The hospital is bushy and offers no services. It would be better closed and turned into a school or church.”

Gitonga vowed continued pressure: “My uncle died fighting for the right to healthcare. We cannot stop until this hospital is fixed.”

A spot check at the facility confirmed residents’ complaints — patients forced to buy drugs privately, families carrying water, and routine referrals to other hospitals due to lack of capacity.

As grief mixes with fury, residents say they will return to the streets next Tuesday to demand both justice for the slain and urgent restoration of the hospital. “We cannot continue losing people to both poor healthcare and police actions,” said Mukundi.

The National Police Service has reportedly launched its own investigations, while Ipoa is also probing the incident