A 27-year-old man is fighting for his life with a bullet logged in his right shoulder at the Malindi Sub-county Hospital after he was allegedly shot by police on Wednesday night.
Jumaa Safari is nursing a serious injury after he was shot on the shoulder at Magarini village while ferrying three bags of charcoal at 2 am on a motorcycle to Burangi, a nearby village.
The father of one recounted that while he was parking his motorcycle after two police officers in a Probox, claimed to be from Adu, stopped him, he heard two gunshots and immediately found himself in the ground blood oozing from his right shoulder.
“When the two police officers in civilian clothes stopped me, one pointed a gun at me. He shot twice, one bullet hitting the charcoal luggage the other logged into my right shoulder. I do not know what they had planned for my life,” he added.
According to Safari, the sound of the gunshots alerted residents who helped the police officers to rush him to Marafa Hospital where he was referred to Malindi sub-county hospital.
The police officers are alleged to have dumped the injured Safari at Marafa hospital without any financial assistance.
Margaret Pola Kenga, a resident of Marafa who also accompanied Safari to Malindi sub-county hospital told the press that economy in Magarini is still tough and charcoal business was the only means of livelihood left to the residents despite being banned.
Speaking at Malindi sub-county hospital, Magarini OCPD Gerald Barasa said his officers would launch investigations into the matter.
"If we find out that police officers did this, we promise the people of Magarini that the law will take its course," he said.