He was a young man trying to make an honest living, selling masks on the streets, but on Tuesday, Boniface Mwangi Kariuki found himself caught in the chaos when protests turned violent in the Nairobi Central Business District.
Amateur videos captured two police officers roughing him up before one of them pulled the trigger that brought him down.
People carry a casualty during a demonstration over the death of Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody, in downtown Nairobi, Kenya, June 17, 2025.
Photo credit: Reuters
He wasn’t the only one shot that day, but just like that, Boniface, only 22 years old, came to symbolise all the others.
His father, Jonah Kariuki, yesterday said he learned of the shooting the same way many Kenyans did: through disturbing video clips shared widely on social media.
“I was called around 8 pm by fellow vendors who work closely with him. When I watched the video, my heart skipped a beat,” he recalled.
Boniface, he said, was a disciplined and entrepreneurial young man. On normal days, he sold earrings and other fast-moving items on the street, but on Tuesday, he was hawking masks, hoping to cash in on the crowds expected at the protests.
Boniface's critical condition
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
His father rushed to the hospital Tuesday evening but was not allowed to see his son until Wednesday. When he finally did, Boniface was lying in the ICU, connected to life support machines.
“I saw him in the ICU. He looked okay, but not fully, and he was on the machine and breathing. At least my heart is now at peace because it would have been worse,” he added, referring to how the video made it seem like his son was already dead.
He had to search hospital records to identify him, he explained, because his son was listed as one of two unnamed patients admitted that day.
“Be, at least, responsible. You are also parents and human beings, and whoever you maimed is also someone’s child, someone who has really hustled to see that child grow. I’m so hurt, and the police made a mistake. The officer who shot my son needs to be held accountable for his actions,” said Mr Kariuki.
He admitted he did not talk frequently with his son “unless there is something to talk about,” but added, “We are usually very close.”
Boniface is the firstborn and only son among five children. The family hails from Murang’a, but Boniface lived in Nairobi’s Makadara estate.
“I’m fearful. I don’t know if he will survive. But miracles do happen, and he could survive. All night, as I waited to see him, tears flowed freely down my cheeks,” he said.
Boniface’s friend, Edwin Kaiga, said he had known him for four years. He said he witnessed the officers' assault on Boniface before one of them fired at close range.
“We were selling masks on the streets. Unfortunately, Boniface was selling masks at Imenti House. Let’s keep praying for him. God willing, he will be healed,” he said.
Kagia, who introduced Boniface to vending in the area, described him as a peaceful man.
“He was a man of good deeds. Even on Tuesday before he was shot, from the videos, you can see he was not violent. In his hands, he only had the masks he was selling,” he said.
He also clarified that his friend was not "Eli," as reports on social media alleged, explaining that “he was only using a different number for business transactions, which bore such a name.”
Kenyatta National Hospital CEO Dr William Sigilai confirmed that Boniface was among 16 patients received following the protest-related unrest in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
“He was referred to the facility on the afternoon of Tuesday, June 17, 2025, after sustaining a gunshot wound during the protests,” Dr Sigilai said.
Boniface arrived at the hospital at 3.16 pm in critical condition with a gunshot wound to the head, resulting in severe brain injury and significant blood loss.
He was then placed on life support immediately by the emergency care team led by Dr Janet Sugut. A CT scan confirmed that the bullet had struck the left side of the head.
Kenyan flag hoisted at site of Boniface Kariuki's shooting in the Nairobi CBD
He was taken into surgery at around 8.50 pm, where a complex procedure was performed by a multidisciplinary team led by Consultant Neurosurgeon Dr Sam Njiru. The bullet was successfully removed during the two-hour operation.
The patient was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, where he remains on mechanical ventilation.
“While his condition is still critical, he is alive and under close round-the-clock observation,” Dr Sigilai added.
Among the other patients admitted that day, seven remained hospitalised, nine were treated and discharged, two underwent surgery, and four more were scheduled for surgical procedures on Wednesday.
One other patient remains unidentified, having sustained a skull fracture reportedly from an assault.
National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga said the force “deeply regrets this unjustified act and commiserates with the victim and his family,” while pledging full cooperation with investigators.
The two officers involved—Police Constables Klinzy Barasa Masinde and Duncan Kiprono—have since been interdicted. They are currently being processed by the DCI Homicide Team pending further action.
Also injured in the protests was Kenyatta University student Philip Oketch, who survived two gunshot wounds, one to the arm and another to the neck.
“I'm grateful to be alive,” Mr Oketch told journalists at KNH.
The Kenyatta University Students Association Secretary General, Zadock Moth Nyakwaka, issued a stern warning, saying the government had “touched a wrong nerve” by shooting a university student.
“If this continues, we will mobilise university students to go to the streets," said Mr Nyakwaka.
