The murder trial of police officer Dancun Ndiema, accused of killing Yassin Moyo in 2020, began at the High Court in Nairobi on Tuesday. This marks the first hearing more than four years after Yassin was shot from a balcony in Mathare on March 30, 2020.
Ake Hassan, the first of 19 state witnesses, testified that she was on the balcony with Yassin, his mother Hadija Hussein, and her children when the shooting occurred. A neighbor in the same Kiamaiko building, Hassan identified the officers present as police due to their uniforms. She described how one officer pointed a device at them before they heard a gunshot.
Hassan recounted Yassin’s words: “Mum I’ve been hit,” moments after the shot rang out. While the accused, Ndiema, listened intently from the dock, Prosecutor Sarah Ogweno asked if he was the shooter. Hassan responded that she couldn’t identify him due to the evening light and distance.
Defense lawyer Danstan Omari challenged her account, suggesting that there had been chaos outside involving a gunfight between police and thugs. Hassan maintained there was only one shot, which struck Yassin, leaving him injured.
Only Hassan was able to testify on Monday due to a crowded court schedule, with plans to continue the following day. Justice Lillian Mutende adjourned the hearing, emphasizing the need to hear all testimonies in the upcoming sessions.
Yassin Moyo, a 13-year-old Standard 8 pupil, was killed during police enforcement of the Covid-19 curfew. Ndiema, who denies the charge, was released on a Sh1 million cash bail.
