A man who was arrested on suspicion of killing National Hospital Insurance Fund employee Lilian Waithera is no longer a suspect, police have said.
In a report released Tuesday, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said ballistic tests on a rifle recovered from the man came out negative.
The tests established that the Glock pistol surrendered by the licensed firearm holder did not discharge the bullet that killed Waithera in the Nairobi CBD on February 13.
The ballistics tests compare recovered cartridges and bullet heads with the firearm.
“The tests so far are negative. The man is not a suspect. He was a person of interest. We will release the weapon to him,” said a detective privy to the investigations.
Detectives are now back to the drawing board, with some eyewitnesses also claiming to have heard a single gunshot.
Police suspect there was an accidental discharge or a stray bullet situation but they are also not ruling out a targeted hit at Waithera.
“We suspect someone was clearing his gun and it discharged accidentally leading to the fatal shooting. She was not a target and it could have hit anyone at that point at that time,” said another officer who sought anonymity.
Nairobi Regional Police Commander Adamson Bungei said they are following crucial leads into the incident and urged for patience.
“We suspect it was a bullet that discharged and came back hitting her,” he said.
DCI also confirmed that cartridge found in Lillian Waithera’s lungs wasn’t from a sniper’s rifle.
Also Read – Husband of Slain NHIF Employee Lilian Waithera Speaks Out
