Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, the unarmed street vendor who was shot in the head by a police officer during the June 17 protests, has died after spending nearly two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Kenyatta National Hospital.
Kariuki passed away at 3:15 p.m. on Monday, June 30, following a long and agonizing battle for survival. His death marks yet another grim chapter in Kenya’s escalating crisis around police brutality and excessive use of force during public demonstrations.
The 32-year-old, known in his neighborhood for selling face masks and small wares in Nairobi’s Central Business District, had become a symbol of the civilian toll of recent protests.
Declared Brain Dead Before Death
According to the family spokesperson, Kariuki had been declared brain dead on Sunday night around midnight, after showing no signs of neurological recovery. Doctors determined that his brainstem had ceased functioning, meaning he could no longer sustain vital reflexes, including breathing, on his own.
“We were informed by the doctors that although he was brain dead, we could not remove life support until his heart stopped beating,” the spokesperson said during a press briefing outside the hospital.
This legal requirement, which follows Kenyan medical ethics and law, meant that Kariuki’s body had to remain on life support until his heart failed naturally, which happened on Monday afternoon.
Shot at Point-Blank Range by Police
Boniface Mwangi Kariuki’s story shocked the nation after graphic footage circulated on social media, showing two police officers assaulting him during the June 17 protests.
The protests, sparked by growing anger over the now-suspended Finance Bill 2025, saw thousands take to the streets in Nairobi and other major towns.
Kariuki, who had been selling masks near the protest route, was unarmed and not actively demonstrating, according to multiple eyewitnesses.
One of the officers was caught on video pointing a firearm at close range and shooting Kariuki in the head, even as he lay on the ground. Bystanders rushed to his aid, and he was taken to Kenyatta National Hospital where he underwent emergency surgery.
Doctors later confirmed that a bullet—suspected to be rubber or low-caliber—was retrieved from his skull. However, the damage to his brain was catastrophic, leaving him in a coma from the moment of the incident.
Public Outrage and Calls for Justice
News of Kariuki’s death has reignited nationwide outrage, with human rights groups, lawyers, and political leaders demanding swift prosecution of the officers involved.
The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) condemned the shooting, calling it a “gross violation of the right to life and a breach of all protocols governing crowd control and use of force.”
“The fact that Boniface was unarmed and not posing any threat at the time of the shooting makes this a case of outright extrajudicial execution,” said Dr. Florence Wandera, Chairperson of KNCHR.
Online, Kenyans have taken to social media under hashtags like #JusticeForBoniface, #StopPoliceBrutality, and #RIPBonifaceMwangi, demanding accountability and an overhaul of policing tactics during demonstrations.
Government and Police Silent So Far
As of Monday evening, there had been no official statement from either the National Police Service or the Ministry of Interior regarding Kariuki’s death. The silence has only served to fuel public anger, with many accusing the government of deliberate indifference to the deaths and injuries caused during the protests.
Efforts to identify and prosecute the officer involved have been slow, despite the fact that the shooting was caught on video and widely shared across digital platforms. Civil society groups are now calling on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to act swiftly.
A Breadwinner and Beloved Community Member
Kariuki, who lived in Kayole, was described by neighbors and friends as a hardworking young man who supported his mother and two younger siblings through his daily vending work.
“He wasn’t a criminal, he wasn’t a protester—he was just trying to make ends meet. Now he’s dead because someone in uniform decided to shoot him like an animal,” said a neighbor at a vigil held in his honor.
He becomes one of the dozens reportedly killed in connection with the recent wave of protests that swept Kenya in June 2025.
The Bigger Picture: A Pattern of Violence
Kariuki’s killing is not an isolated incident. Human rights watchdogs say Kenya has witnessed a disturbing pattern of excessive force, live ammunition use, and lethal crowd control tactics during demonstrations over the years.
During the June 25 protests alone, independent reports claimed over 30 fatalities, many of them young people. In some cases, families have alleged that bodies were removed from protest scenes and taken to mortuaries without notification or documentation.
Civil society organizations are calling for a parliamentary inquiry and international human rights investigations into these alleged abuses.
Key Takeaways
- Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, a vendor shot by police during the June 17, 2025 protests, has died after nearly two weeks in ICU at Kenyatta Hospital.
- He was shot at point-blank range by a police officer despite being unarmed and non-threatening.
- Kariuki was declared brain dead on June 29 and officially pronounced dead on June 30 at 3:15 p.m..
- Public outrage is growing, with calls for justice, prosecution of the officers involved, and urgent police reform.
- Government officials and police have so far not responded to the incident.