As a result of my examination, I formed the opinion that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds in the head, chest and abdomen,” Dr Charles K. Muturi, pathologist.

Police officers from Pangani station pumped 14 bullets in the body of Galgalo Bariso, a Boda Boda rider, during an execution that was captured on camera, a post-mortem report has revealed.

Galgalo was killed with his passenger Sharim Kimoa in the wee hours of Friday, March 18, 2022, outside Pangani Police station.

According to his mother, Galgalo, 32, had gone to buy juice for his seven months expectant wife and never returned home. 

The police officers said Galgalo and one of his accomplices who was also executed accosted a middle-aged woman and allegedly robbed her of her valuables along Agoi road, within the Pangani shopping centre. 

Police in their statements posted on social media claimed the two had exchanged fire with police officers leading to their killings contrary to video evidence which showed the two were executed while lying down on the road. 

The gruesome murder was recorded on a video camera by the same police officers from the Pangani police station. Their execution is believed to have been led by the infamous killer squad dubbed Pangani 6 led by Sergeant Ahmed Rashid who in 2017 was captured on camera executing two young men in Eastleigh.

Read: How trigger happy cop Rashid killed five in two days

The video that has since gone viral has been condemned far and wide led by civil society groups. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority, IPOA has ordered a probe.

Speaking during the post-mortem exercise at the City Mortuary on Saturday Missing Voices Coalition representative led by HAKI Africa’s Salima Njoki called for speedy investigations into the matter and called for the arrest and prosecution of suspects instead of shooting to kill.

“We do not condone criminal activities that they engage in, but don’t we have faith and trust in the criminal justice system in this country?” she posed.

POSTMORTEM REPORT

An autopsy carried out at the City Mortuary in Nairobi by Dr Charles K. Muturi and sponsored by Missing Voices Coalition revealed that fourteen bullets were pumped into Galgalo’s body.

“As a result of my examination, I formed the opinion that the cause of death was multiple gunshot wounds in the head, chest and abdomen.”

The pathologist also handed a bullet head fragment to police constable Mwanzia for further examination.

In a statement to newsrooms on Friday, March 18, IPOA said it was aware of the video where police officers are captured shooting suspects. 

“The Authority took up the matter on strength of preliminary information, including but not limited to video clips depicting a crime scene which captures what appears to be a shooting and presence of police officers.”

The Authority further told Missing Voices while it remains independent, impartial and fair in all its investigations, it said upon completion of the investigations, where a fault is found, the Authority shall not hesitate to make recommendations, including but not limited to prosecution.

Police in their usual style of coverup denied execution of the two who are seen in the video lying on the road on their backs while police surrounding them pumped bullets into their bodies. 

The police instead said the two had robbed a pedestrian valuable worth Ksh100 000 including her hearings adding that they refused orders to surrender and instead a shoot out ensued between them and the police. There is however no evidence of a shootout so far from eyewitnesses or the police video.

The Director of Criminal Investigations George Kinoti on his official Facebook page said, “A few minutes later, two thugs came face to face with the officers of the law along Dr Griffins road, prompting a fierce shootout after the thugs defied orders to surrender. The two were fatally wounded and a black revolver loaded with 6 rounds of federal 38 special recovered.” 

Missing Voices condemned the killings in a post on social media: “We strongly condemn this misuse of power by police officers from Pangani. Police cannot investigate, prosecute and sentence to death suspects in this manner. We have in the past raised concerns over these rogue officers. We welcome IPOA probe into this case.”

Missing Voices has verified 219 cases of police killings and enforced disappearances in the country in 2021.

In an interview with Missing Voices, Galgalo’s mother was too emotional to talk. A rights defender in Mathare who went to console the family spoke on condition of anonymity saying Galgalo was a victim of circumstances and was a well-known Bodaboda rider and had no previous criminal record.

She said, “It is so painful not just to the family but the whole Kiamaiko ward. His seven months pregnant wife was also rushed to hospital after she learnt about the gruesome murder of his husband.”

Galgalo was buried Saturday according to Islamic faith while his friend’s body is still lying at the City Mortuary awaiting identification and autopsy this week.