A Kenyan police shooting protest has intensified after 22-year-old Boniface Kariuki was shot at point-blank range by a police officer during demonstrations in Nairobi. The protests erupted over the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody on June 8. His death has reignited nationwide outrage over alleged extrajudicial killings by police officers in Kenya.
The demonstrations spread across Nairobi and Mombasa on Tuesday. A video posted by Citizen Television on X showed two police officers striking Kariuki on the head before one fired a long-barrelled gun at close range as Kariuki tried to walk away. The footage caused immediate public outcry.
Later that evening, authorities confirmed the arrest of one police officer linked to the incident. On Wednesday, Boniface Kariuki ’s father, Jonah, said his son was in the intensive care unit at Kenyatta National Hospital. “He is on machine support,” Jonah told The Standard. “I saw his heartbeat, so I still have some hope.”
A journalist at the protest scene observed Kariuki bleeding heavily from the head, clutching a packet of face masks. His father stated, “He was selling masks. He’s not a criminal. I’ve never heard of him stealing.”
The Kenyan police shooting protest follows revelations from an independent autopsy on Albert Ojwang, which confirmed he had been assaulted, not that he died by suicide as initially claimed by authorities. Police later apologized, and President William Ruto acknowledged Ojwang died “at the hands of the police.”
These events have drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations, the Law Society of Kenya, and the judiciary. They have all voiced concern over the increasing frequency of alleged police brutality in Kenya. As the Kenyan police shooting protest gains momentum, many citizens continue demanding justice and accountability from the government and security agencies.
