Shot Nairobi Hawker Boniface Kariuki Dies After Nearly Two Weeks in ICU
Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, the hawker who was shot during the anti-government protests on June 17, has sadly passed away.
Kariuki had been fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Kenyatta National Hospital since the day of the shooting. He died on Monday, June 30, at around 3:15 p.m., nearly two weeks after sustaining a gunshot wound to the head.
His death has brought pain and renewed calls for justice, especially from his family, who have been struggling not only emotionally but also financially.
While speaking to reporters, Kariuki’s father, Jonah Kariuki, revealed that the hospital bill had risen to over Ksh3.5 million.
He added that despite the high cost, no government body had come forward to offer any financial support.
“We have a difficult journey ahead because we don’t even have the money to move his body from the mortuary.
We are appealing to fellow Kenyans for help,” Jonah stated with sorrow.
He added, “I want justice for my son. He had done nothing wrong. He was my only son—the rest are girls. I had high hopes for him.”
This heartbreaking development comes just a day after the family had confirmed that Boniface had been declared brain dead on Sunday at around midnight.
The spokesperson for the family had explained that his brainstem was no longer functioning, and they were only waiting for doctors to officially declare him clinically dead.
Kenyan law does not permit the withdrawal of life support until a person’s heart completely stops, which meant the family had to wait helplessly.
The tragic shooting happened during the June 17 protests in Nairobi. Boniface, who sold masks on the streets to earn a living, was caught on camera being beaten by two police officers.
One of them then shot him at close range in the head while he was unarmed. The disturbing video went viral and sparked outrage across the country.
Immediately after the shooting, fellow demonstrators rushed him to the Kenyatta National Hospital. Doctors managed to perform emergency surgery and removed a bullet lodged in his skull, but his condition remained critical until his eventual death.
The incident drew heavy criticism from human rights activists and members of the public, who condemned the use of live bullets on peaceful protesters.
Many pointed out the irony that the protest Kariuki was attending was against police brutality—yet he became a direct victim of it.
On the morning of June 30, just hours before Kariuki passed away, former police spokesperson Charles Owino made controversial remarks during an interview.
He claimed that the victim had insulted the officers before being shot.
“It was a simple exchange.
If you listen carefully to the video, you’ll hear the young man insulting the officer. But even in such situations, an officer should exercise self-control.
He should have used a rubber bullet, not a live one. Look at the damage this has done to the police image,” Owino said.
Owino also disclosed that the officer who shot Kariuki, identified as Klinzy Baraza Masinde, was a young police recruit with less than two years in service. He claimed the officer acted emotionally after being insulted, which led to the fatal shooting.
Both officers involved in the attack were arrested shortly after the incident. On June 19, they were taken to the Milimani Law Courts, where the judge granted a joint request from both the prosecution and the defence to detain them for 15 more days.
This decision was made to give the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) more time to conduct thorough investigations into the shooting.
Kariuki’s death adds to the growing number of victims of police brutality in Kenya, and his story has now become a symbol of the fight for justice and accountability.
His family, now burdened with grief and financial hardship, continues to call on Kenyans and the government to stand with them during this difficult time.
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