Saba Saba protests: 12-year-old girl shot dead while watching TV at home in Kiambu
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Saba Saba protests: 12-year-old girl shot dead while watching TV at home in Kiambu

Bridgit Njoki Wainaina, a Grade Seven pupil, was shot and killed by a suspected police bullet while sitting at home in Ndumberi, Kiambu County, on Monday evening during the Saba Saba protests.

According to her mother, Lucy Ngugi, the 12-year-old girl was watching television around 6:20 pm when gunfire erupted nearby.

A bullet pierced their living room wall and struck her daughter in the head.

"When I turned around, I saw my daughter with blood on her hands and thought she had suffered an electric shock. But as I touched her to find out where she was bleeding, she suddenly became weak and collapsed to the floor," she said on Tuesday.

Still unaware of what had happened, Njoki’s mother was puzzled by how suddenly her daughter’s energy had faded.

"It's then that I saw a bullet hole in her head and I started screaming," she recalled amid tears.

Lucy immediately called her husband for help in rushing their daughter to the hospital.

"He came, and with the help of neighbours, well-wishers, and the community, we rushed her to St Brigid's Hospital. There, doctors scanned her and found a bullet lodged in her head. They said it had penetrated her skull and brain," she recalled.

Her daughter died the same evening while receiving treatment.

Her house is located approximately two kilometres from the main road where the protests were taking place.

Njoki's death adds to that of many Kenyans who, even though not engaged in protests, have died from stray bullets.

Another victim, Dennis Mutuma Mwangi, 23, was shot dead outside his home in Kiambu town.

His mother, Friday Kawira, tearfully stated that her son was shot from the back, meaning he was running away when the bullet hit him and exited via the neck, killing him instantly right outside her home.

She insists her son was not protesting but had just stepped outside to see what was happening after washing his clothes.

On his part, Laban Kamau was also shot in the head in Ndumberi village.

"Ndumberi is a village and not a town centre. We were shocked to see such protests, which have left me without a son, and it is so paiful since my son is not a criminal to be gunned down like that," his mother, Margaret Wangui, said as she expressed her shock at the killing of her son.

The victims' families are demanding justice, compensation, and an independent investigation into the use of live bullets by police.

They are protesting being forced to cover unexpected mortuary and post-mortem costs at Kiambu Level Five Hospital, despite their loved ones’ deaths being linked to police shootings.

The families are calling on the government to cover hospital bills and burial expenses, stressing that the killings were unjustified, as police used live bullets to disperse protestors.

The violence also injured 18-year-old student Kevin Muiruri, who was shot in the left leg while fleeing the chaos in Kabete constituency. He says police left him bleeding at the scene until well-wishers came to his aid and took him to the hospital.

Former Kiambu MP Jude Njomo, who visited the grieving families, also demanded an independent investigation into the shootings.

"How can the police who have killed the young people investigate themselves? We need international bodies to investigate and give the dead who were shot by police justice," he stated.

He also criticised the police for allegedly downplaying the number of casualties, noting that the official report listed only one death in Kiambu, while families had confirmed six fatalities — a discrepancy he described as deliberate and misleading.

The affected families also raised concerns about the alleged use of "goons" by authorities in the Mt Kenya region, claiming that police target innocent young people who are not involved in looting or throwing stones, instead of the agitators.

The National Police Service confirmed that at least 11 people died across the country following Monday's Saba Saba protests.

18 hrs ago4 mins read

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I&M Group PLC Posts 17.3% Profit After Tax in Q1 2025
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I&M Group PLC Posts 17.3% Profit After Tax in Q1 2025

I&M Group PLC has kicked off 2025 on a strong note, reporting a 16 percent rise in Profit Before Tax (PBT) for the first quarter, reaching KES 5.9 billion, up from KES 5.1 billion in the same period last year. This performance follows a robust full-year showing in 2024 and highlights the Group’s continued momentum and strategic focus across regional markets.

According to the Group’s Regional CEO, Mr Kihara Maina, the growth reflects “effective strategic execution, harnessing cross-market synergies, and reinforcing long-term value creation.” Subsidiaries across East Africa contributed 26 percent of the Group’s PBT, up from 24 percent in Q1 2024 — a testament to the success of I&M’s regional diversification efforts.

Key Group Highlights – Q1 2025:

Total Assets: Up 7% year-on-year to KES 568 billion.

Loan Book: Increased slightly by 1% to KES 294 billion.

Customer Deposits: Grew 6% to KES 407 billion, driven by both current and term deposits.

Net Non-Performing Loans: Declined by 11% to KES 13 billion.

Operating Income: Rose by 12%, buoyed by a matching 12% increase in Net Interest Income.

Operating Expenses: Also grew 12% as the Group continued investing in technology, talent, and branch networks.

Loan Loss Provisions: Increased slightly to KES 1.6 billion from KES 1.5 billion in Q1 2024.

Strong Performance by I&M Bank Kenya.

I&M Bank Kenya, the Group’s flagship subsidiary, reported an 8 percent growth in PBT, backed by a 10 percent increase in operating income. Customer deposits stood at KES 292 billion, while net non-performing loans fell by 9 percent to KES 11 billion.

Customer acquisition soared by 134 percent year-on-year in Q1, supported by digital innovation and expanded outreach. The bank now operates 64 branches across 24 counties. Its Net Promoter Score remained above 80 percent, reflecting high levels of customer satisfaction.

I&M Bank Kenya was honoured in 10 of 14 categories at the 2025 Think Business Banking Awards, including “Best Retail Bank”, “Best in Product Innovation”, and runner-up for “Best Corporate Bank”. Founder and Chairman Emeritus Mr S.B.R. Shah was awarded the 2025 Lifetime Achievement in Banking Award.

“Our strong performance continues to demonstrate that our products and services are relevant for our customers. We more than doubled our customer base in just two years,” said Mr Gul Khan, CEO of I&M Bank Kenya.

Regional Subsidiary Highlights:

I&M Bank Uganda: Led regional growth with a 138% rise in PBT; assets surpassed UGX 1.1 trillion.

I&M Bank Tanzania: PBT more than doubled to KES 324 million.

I&M Bank Rwanda: Recorded 14% PBT growth in local currency, driven by rising economic activity.

Bank One (Mauritius): Achieved a 13% increase in PBT, supported by strong non-funded income and disciplined cost management.

Outlook for 2025

I&M Group remains optimistic for the remainder of 2025, citing ongoing investments in digital transformation, product innovation, and regional integration as core pillars for inclusive growth across East Africa.

Jun 4, 20253 mins read