Police blocking treatment of man they shot: family

Coast Provincial General Hospital in Mombasa on March 15, 2017. PHOTO | WACHIRA MWANGI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

A 19-year-old man is fighting for his life in hospital after he was shot and seriously injured by Administration Police officers in Maweni, Kisauni.

Mr Anwar Athman is nursing serious bullet injuries at Coast Provincial General Hospital (CPGH) after he was shot in the neck by the officers.

His brother-in-law, Khamis Abdulatif who has been taking care of him in the hospital said the officers shot Mr Athman on Sunday at around 1am after conducting a raid in Kambi-Kikuyu in Maweni.

The bullet was lodged in the neck, according to the CPGH doctor’s report.

“Today (Wednesday) is the third day since the incident happened and police have refused us to bring in any doctor who can remove the bullet from the neck. Police officers have been here manning him as if he is a criminal,” said Mr Abdulatif.

When the Nation visited the hospital, it saw two police officers, one in an AP uniform and another in civilian guarding the victim.

Kisauni police boss, Christopher Rotich said Mr Athman was a suspected criminal who was shot at after attacking a resident.

“The suspect was with other eight accomplices who attacked a resident who lodged complaint and police responded. We have our officers at the hospital to guard the suspect and when he recuperates we are going to take him to court,” said Mr Rotich.

However, according to the family, Mr Athman has been operating as a boda boda rider adding that police were falsely accusing him of being a criminal.

“Police are saying he is a suspect just to justify their shooting but Athman is well known in our home area as a boda boda operator.

“We are going to pursue this case so that we can get justice for our son,” said Mr Abdulatif when he visited Haki Africa, a local NGO’s offices in Kizingo.

Haki Africa programme officer Francis Auma said they managed to get the shells of the bullets fired in the incident, saying they will use them as evidence to help the family get justice.

Mr Auma accused police officers of using excessive force in the fight against suspected juvenile criminal gangs hence resulting to misuse of their firearms.

“We have in this month alone recorded five cases of suspected criminals being shot at by police officers. This trend is horrifying and we need the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to take these matters seriously and bring justice,” said Mr Auma.