For the past seven days, the family of 22-year-old Boniface Kariuki has taken turns sitting by his hospital bedside silently watching machine signals rise and fall with each breath.
To them, Kariuki fondly known as Boni looks alive but no one will tell them for sure.
“When someone is on life support, you cannot tell if they are dead or alive. We just want the doctor to tell us the truth. There is so much being said online but nothing from the doctors. We do not know what to believe,” Boniface’s mother Susan Njeri said in an interview at their home in Nduni village, Murang’a County.
susan njeri
Photo credit: Joseph Kanyi | Nation
Despite numerous interviews and conversations with government officials, including senior police officers who visited the family on Monday, she says they have received no answers or help.
“We feel like we are just talking to ourselves. Endless meetings, endless media interviews but no one tells us how Boniface is doing,” Ms Njeri said, adding that by June 21, the hospital bill had accrued to Sh1.5 million.
Jonah Kariuki, the father of Boniface Kariuki, who was shot at close range by a policeman, speaks to journalists at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Photo credit: Boniface Bogita| Nation
Ms Njeri who is a casual labourer last saw her son on January 31, 2025, when he visited home.
She says Boniface had been living with his father in Makadara Estate, Nairobi, since 2019 when he was in Form Two.
After completing his secondary education, he joined his father in hawking, selling whatever he could from masks, socks and later adapting to market demands over time.
As the firstborn in a family of five, he had big dreams according to his mother. He wanted to open a small business, support his parents and create a better future for his four younger sisters.
His greatest wish was to build the family home and help his father who has sold watches on Nairobi’s streets for over a decade and who often lost stock to theft and occasionally having to sell family goats to restock.
But on June 17, that dream was shattered.
Boniface was shot by a police officer during protests demanding accountability for the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
Face mask vendor Boniface Kariuki is rushed to hospital by protesters after he was shot by a police officer in Nairobi on June 17, 2025.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation
Ms Njeri did not know what had happened to her son until the following morning when one of her daughters called to ask if she had heard any news about him.
“I could not believe that my son who was so full of life when he visited us in January was now lying motionless in a hospital bed,” she said.
Back home, Ms Njeri tries to care for her other four children but her mind is elsewhere. Even with neighbours helping with household chores, the weight of uncertainty remains.
Susan Njeri (left) and John Kariuki (right), parents of Boniface Kariuki, with friends and relatives at Kenyatta National Hospital on June 21, 2025.
Photo credit: Wilfred Nyangaresi | Nation Media Group
She says the family is financially stretched especially since her husband stopped working to visit the hospital three times a day to watch over their son.
Ms Beatrice Wairimu, a close family friend, says she last saw Boniface in March this year when she visited her son Eric Njane, his childhood friend and business partner.
On the day of the protests, she says her son told her they were closing up shop early because Boniface said he was tired and wanted to go home.
“But just as they were packing, another hawker approached Boni asking for change. Eric stepped away briefly and when he turned back, he saw Boni being assaulted by police officers,” she said.
Mr Njane who has been in shock since the incident only found the strength to speak about it on Sunday.
Speaking during the visit by police officers, Central Region Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi condemned the shooting and said two police officers had already been arraigned in connection with the incident.
Mr Ndanyi who read g a statement on behalf of Inspector General Douglas Kanja conveyed his boss’s condolences to the family and assured them of a commitment to justice.
“We do not condone police brutality. The actions of a few officers should not tarnish the entire service. We are working closely with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa) and we will invest in better training and community engagement to prevent such incidents in the future,” Mr Ndanyi said.
