Bridget Njoki: Sorrow as 12-year-old girl shot dead during Saba Saba protests laid to rest

Two victims of the recent violent Saba Saba protests have been laid to rest in deeply emotional ceremonies.

Bridget Njoki, a 12-year-old girl who tragically lost her life when a bullet tore through a wall and struck her while she was resting beside her mother in their living room, was buried in Githunguri, Kiambu County. 

Joseph Kagiri, aged 24, was laid to rest in Ndeiya, also within Kiambu County. Both funerals marked emotional moments of grief for the families affected by the unrest.

The smallest coffins are always the heaviest to carry, a sentiment felt deeply as the body of 12-year-old Njoki was carried for a funeral mass at their local church in Githunguri.

Inside the church, a sorrowful funeral mass got underway, filled with heart-wrenching tributes. Messages from Bridget’s fellow pupils, expressing their final respects, moved mourners to tears, capturing the profound loss felt by her passing.

Lucy Ngugi, Bridget’s mother, delivered an emotional tribute, reflecting on the bright future she had hoped her daughter would realize.

"Saba Saba will be forever etched in my heart... I'm shattered beyond words... I thought you would grow and become a beautiful woman," said Lucy.

She mourned the tragic circumstances that took the life of her child but vowed that the family would not allow the pain of loss to dim the cherished memories they shared.

"Listen here, the bullet didn’t just come — it was fired by someone," said Lucy.

The funeral was attended by opposition leaders, although they were not allowed to speak during the service.

Meanwhile, in Ndeiya, within the same county, another victim of the Saba Saba protests was laid to rest. 24-year-old Kagiri was among five people shot and killed by police during protests in Ngong, Embulbul, and Kiserian. 

His mother, Gladys Muthoni, was overcome with emotion throughout the service, unable to contain her tears.

"We feel so bad... he was just trying to earn a living. The family is grieving," said Hezron Junior, a cousin of Joseph.

"We did not like what happened... we are hurting," said Monica Wanjiri, Joseph's aunt.

The sombre burial, attended by family, friends, and local residents, was notably low-key, with no government officials present, not even a local chief, underscoring the deep silence surrounding the tragedy.

Meanwhile, in Nyeri, the family of Harrison Wachira, the man who was captured in a harrowing video being dragged by police officers in Juja Town after being shot, is facing a dilemma.

With his funeral scheduled for Friday, they fear having to postpone the service due to financial constraints.

A promising life cut short by police brutality. Joseph Kagiri left home in search of a better future, only to return in a coffin.

He was laid to rest in a low-key ceremony attended by his family, friends, and neighbours. His family says there can be no closure without accountability, and no peace without justice.