Nairobi’s Huruma estate remains on edge as the Huruma shooting of Sheryl Adhiambo sparks outrage and calls for accountability. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority kicked off an investigation into how a 21-year-old Kenya Medical Training College student ended up dead from a police bullet over the weekend.
It happened on Saturday evening in the busy streets of Huruma. Sheryl Adhiambo, a first-year student fresh off her exams, was going about her day – some say helping her mother sell fish – when chaos broke loose.
Police were chasing a suspect linked to a robbery report from earlier that morning. Shots rang out. One stray bullet hit Sheryl, and just like that, a young life was cut short.
By Sunday, the anger escalated. Residents took to the streets, blocking roads, burning tyres, and clashing with officers. They carried placards demanding justice, chanted her name, and questioned why innocent people continue to suffer in police operations.
“She wasn’t armed; she wasn’t a criminal – she was just there,” one protester told reporters amid the smoke. Police fired teargas to scatter crowds, but the tension lingered all day.
Sheryl’s family is shattered. Her mother, still in shock, spoke through tears about a bright girl with big dreams of becoming a health worker. The 21-year-old had her whole future ahead of her – exams done, holidays starting.
Now they’re planning a funeral instead. Relatives joined the calls for swift action, saying no family should bury a child over something like this.
Police have advised individuals to remain calm as they conduct the investigation. They explained the chase started after a robbery complaint at Huruma Police Station on Friday.
Officers spotted the suspect, gave pursuit, and fired warning shots – or so the initial story goes. But locals aren’t buying it fully. Too many similar incidents in estates like this, they say, where bullets fly and bystanders suffer.
IPOA moved fast, sending a rapid response team from their Nairobi office on Saturday night. They’re gathering statements, checking weapons, reviewing body cams if any, and piecing together exactly what went down.
Huruma isn’t new to this kind of pain. Dense, vibrant, and full of hard-working people grinding daily – but also a spot where crime and heavy-handed policing collide too often.
Residents say better strategies are needed, not just guns blazing in crowded areas. Youth in the estate, many of them Sheryl’s age, worry they’re next.
As the investigation unfolds, eyes stay on IPOA. Will it lead to charges, reforms, or real change? Families like Sheryl’s hope for more than reports gathering dust.
Protests have died down for now, but the demand echoes loud: justice for Sheryl Adhiambo. In a city where stories like this repeat, her name has become a rallying cry. Kenya watches, waiting to see if this time brings answers.
