The prime minister has expressed his sympathy to the family of an Australian teacher who has been shot dead after dropping her son at a friend’s house in a wealthy suburb of the Kenyan capital Nairobi.
The New South Wales teacher, named by the ABC as Gabrielle Maina, was reportedly shot dead in the affluent suburb of Karen, on Thursday morning local time, during a botched robbery reportedly involving assailants on motorbikes.
“It’s a tragic event and our prayers and love and condolences go out to her family and loved ones,” Malcolm Turnbull told 3AW radio on Friday. “She appears to have been killed by a fatal gunshot wound during a robbery.”
Maina has been in Kenya since September 2015, with her Facebook page saying she comes from Armidale in NSW.
She was working at the Hillcrest Preparatory School, where she was the head teacher, according to the school’s website.
Widely known, loved and respected in NSW education. A tragedy. https://t.co/6hy0QY1qWo https://t.co/eG60DouYA3
— Mark Scott (@mscott) October 19, 2017
In a statement provided to parents, the school expressed its condolences to Maina’s family.
“It is with great sadness and shock that we are writing to let you know that Gabrielle Maina, head teacher of Hillcrest Prep has been tragically killed whilst out walking this morning,” the statement said.
“She was returning home after dropping her son at a friend’s house.”
The school’s website says Maina relocated to Kenya to establish her family in the country “so her children can grow up with their extended family”.
The experienced teacher had previously taught at a number of schools around Sydney, in subjects including English, Italian and drama, and had also once run her own preschool.
The department of foreign affairs has confirmed it is providing consular assistance to the family of an Australian woman who died in Kenya.