A postmortem examination has raised fresh questions about the circumstances in which a 21-year-old man was shot dead by police in Githurai, with findings suggesting he may have been shot while in a surrendered position.

Eric Muiruri was fatally shot on August 9, 2026, outside a popular entertainment joint in Githurai 44.

A postmortem conducted on August 17 has now provided new details about the trajectory of the bullets that killed him, potentially strengthening accounts by witnesses who say he was kneeling with his hands raised when the officers opened fire.

The findings have heightened calls for an impartial investigation, protection of witnesses and justice for the young man, whose death has sparked anger and online activism.

Government pathologist Bernard Midia said Muiruri died from two gunshot wounds. The bullets struck him from an elevated angle, entering from the front and exiting at points lower than where they entered.

“The trajectory of the bullets once they hit the target indicates that they were fired from an elevated angle, exiting lower to suggest a downward slant. One hit the chest and exited through the back, while the more telling one hit the chest and travelled downward to the abdomen, the pelvic bone and exited through the buttocks,” Dr Midia said.

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The pathologist said the findings indicated that the bullets travelled from a superior elevation towards an inferior point.

He also noted visible injuries that suggested Muiruri may have been assaulted before or around the time of his death.

The findings appear to lend weight to accounts given by eyewitnesses who have recorded statements with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). Their identities have been withheld for security reasons.

One male witness said Muiruri got into an altercation with the manager of the entertainment joint identified in his statement as Airport Lounge, at about 8pm.

The late Eric Muiruri who was allegedly shot by police officers in Githurai 44 on August 9, 2026.
Photo credit: Mwangi Muiruri | Nation Media Group

“I was not close enough to know what they were quarrelling about, but their argument was intense. The manager had his bouncers restrict the boy. The manager made a call and after about 20 minutes, three armed police officers arrived,” the witness said in his statement.

He said the officers subsequently dragged Muiruri through an open, shallow sewer trench near the entertainment facility.

“The boy was kneeling down and with his hands raised. He even called one of the officers by name, begging him not to kill him. He asked the manager and the officers to first call his mother to the scene. The officers took no heed,” the witness said.

According to the witness, Muiruri’s last words were: “Don’t kill me, call my mother.”

His mother Joyce Njoki told the Nation that an eyewitness called her after the incident.

“The caller told me my son was in serious trouble outside the club. I rushed there and found my son lying in a pool of blood. One of the officers told me that I gave birth to a thief and showed me a bag that contained some phones and a knife. The bag was about 30 metres from the body,” she said.

Ms Njoki said her son had no criminal history and questioned whether the circumstances described to her could have justified the use of lethal force.

The circumstances surrounding the shooting have since triggered widespread anger online, with calls for the arrest and investigation of the police officers and the management of the entertainment establishment.

The management of Airport Club subsequently issued a statement distancing itself and its employees from Muiruri's death.

“Club Management wishes to express its sincere condolences to the family, friends, and acquaintances of the late Eric Muiruri Njoki, a popular and well-known figure within the Githurai community. We acknowledge the grief and pain caused by his untimely passing and extend our deepest sympathies to all those affected by his death. We wish his family strength, comfort, and peace during this difficult period,” the statement said.

The management said it was issuing the statement in response to reports and claims circulating online about the circumstances surrounding the death.

“Following various reports, discussions, and information circulating in the public domain regarding the circumstances surrounding this death, Airport Club Management finds it necessary to make the following official clarification. He was not an employee of Airport Club and never worked at Airport Club in any capacity. In particular, he was not employed as a security guard, bouncer, or member of the Club’s staff,” it said.

Online accounts had variously described Muiruri as a bouncer, resident disc jockey and member of the club's staff.

The management rejected those claims, saying he had no employment, professional or official association with the establishment.

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“Airport Club therefore distances itself from the circumstances surrounding his death and from any claims or information suggesting that the deceased was an employee, security guard, bouncer or representative of the Club,” the statement said.

The management also urged members of the public, customers and other stakeholders to exercise caution when sharing information about the incident and avoid circulating unverified claims that could wrongly associate the club or its employees with the death.

Human rights activist Hussein Khalid of Vocal Africa called for full accountability over the shooting, describing it as a suspected “chilling act of state murder against unarmed youth”.

Read: Student killed by a stray police bullet during fracas in Kisumu

Mr Khalid also called for the protection of witnesses following claims by Ms Njoki that she had been approached by men who offered to help her raise money for her son's burial.

Ms Njoki said the men contacted her on August 14 and introduced themselves as friends of “some boss”.

“They told me that I could be assisted financially to arrange the burial of my son as well as save more as a consolation fee. I found that to be a direct threat to my life and an insult to the dignity of a mother whose son has been murdered by the government,” she said.

The circumstances surrounding his death remain subject to investigation by the relevant authorities.

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