Eldoret Attack Puts Police Impunity and Gender-Based Violence in Sharp Focus

ELDORET, KENYA – A clinical officer at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret is demanding justice and protection after she was allegedly shot in the face by her estranged boyfriend, a senior officer from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). Grace Nduku Mwangangi, a mother of two, survived the harrowing attack on the night of Monday, October 13, 2025, which has left her with severe physical and psychological trauma.

The incident occurred in Eldoret, Uasin Gishu County, when the DCI officer, identified as Japin Nyachae who is based in Sotik, reportedly arrived at Ms. Mwangangi's home late at night. According to Ms. Mwangangi's account, the officer, who was accompanied by another man, pointed his firearm at her multiple times, threatening to kill her before shooting her at her gate. The bullet entered her left cheek and exited through her ear. Neighbours rushed her to MTRH, where she underwent emergency surgery.

Despite the life-threatening assault, the accused officer remains on active duty. Ms. Mwangangi reported the shooting at Kapsoya Police Station, only to be informed that her boyfriend had also filed a report at the Central Police Station, claiming an "accidental discharge" of his weapon. The case has since been escalated to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), registered under file number IPOA/CMU/3638/2025, and investigations are said to be ongoing.

"I am living in fear. I'm the sole provider for my family, but I can't work effectively... because I'm constantly afraid," Ms. Mwangangi stated in an interview on Monday, November 10, 2025. "I am mentally troubled and fear anything could happen to me if this man is not held accountable."

A National Crisis of Police Violence

This case is not an isolated incident but rather a stark illustration of a deeply entrenched pattern of police brutality and gender-based violence (GBV) in Kenya. Officers are frequently implicated in violent crimes, including murder and assault, often with little to no accountability. A September 2025 study by the International Justice Mission (IJM) revealed that nearly 43 percent of Kenyans experienced police misconduct between 2022 and 2024. The report highlighted a significant crime reporting gap, with over 62 percent of victims not filing official complaints due to fear of retaliation and a profound lack of trust in oversight bodies.

Data from human rights organizations paints a grim picture. The Missing Voices website, a consortium of NGOs, documented 90 police killings in 2022 alone. Between July 2021 and June 2022, IPOA received 180 complaints of deaths resulting from police action. Despite these alarming figures, convictions remain rare. IJM notes that between 2017 and 2022, only 42 Kenyan police officers were convicted for violent crimes, a number dwarfed by the sheer volume of reported abuses.

Gender-Based Violence: A Shadow Pandemic

The shooting in Eldoret also underscores the severe crisis of violence against women in Kenya, particularly intimate partner violence. According to a 2014 Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) report, 47% of Kenyan women aged fifteen to forty-nine have experienced either physical or sexual violence. More recent data from Africa Data Hub indicates that between 2019 and 2024, approximately 500 cases of femicide were reported, with husbands or boyfriends being the perpetrators in 371 of those cases.

The justice system often fails survivors. A 2015 report cited by the Coalition on Violence Against Women (COVAW) found that over 72% of GBV survivors were unwilling to pursue justice through the courts, citing the insensitivity of law enforcement and a weak victim protection system. This reluctance is compounded when the alleged perpetrator is a police officer, creating a formidable barrier to justice for survivors like Ms. Mwangangi.

Human rights advocates are calling for immediate action, including the suspension of the accused officer pending the IPOA investigation, and enhanced protection for Ms. Mwangangi. They argue that allowing an officer accused of such a violent crime to remain armed and in a position of power sends a chilling message to victims and undermines public confidence in the entire justice system. As Ms. Mwangangi continues her recovery, her case serves as a critical test for Kenya's commitment to holding its law enforcement officers accountable and protecting its citizens from violence.