Boniface Kariuki, a mask vendor who was shot at a close range by a police officer on June 17, 2025, in Nairobi’s CBD, has died.
The family spokesperson Emily Wanjira confirmed his demise stating that Kariuki passed on at 3.15pm.
“We will now have to get the total bill because we have been told he is no more,” she said.
This cones a day after the family, on Sunday, June 29, 2025, said doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) informed them that their son had been declared brain dead.
Boniface Kariuki’s father, Jonah Kariuki Nyambura, told the media that doctors called him at midnight on Saturday to deliver the news — that while his son’s heart was still beating, his brain had ceased functioning.
“We were told by the doctors that his brain has stopped functioning. We have not been told that he is dead, but his heart is still beating” said Boniface Mwangi’s father.
At the same time, the family of Boniface Mwangi Kariuki appealed to Kenyans to help them pay the hospital bill for their kin.
The family say the hospital bill has already climbed to over Ksh3 million.
“I am pleading with Kenyans to help us cover the bill for our son, although the hospital has not yet informed us how much it has amounted to,” father to Boniface said.
Also Read: Why Mask Hawker Was Shot by Police – Charles Owino
Mask Vendor Boniface Kariuki is Dead
Boniface Kariuki had been admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital since being shot by a police officer during protests in Nairobi on June 17, 2025.
He was shot once in the head at close range and underwent three surgeries in an attempt to save his life. The first surgery took place on the day of the shooting, during which doctors successfully removed the bullet.
A second surgery followed on June 19 to extract bullet fragments that remained lodged in his head.
A third high-risk procedure was performed on Boniface Kariuki in an effort to stabilize his condition, as doctors warned that removing the remaining bullet fragments could cause fatal brain damage.
KNH acting CEO and Senior Medical Specialist Dr. William Sigilai revealed that Boniface Kariuki suffered severe damage to the skull.
Additionally, he explained that Boniface Mwangi Kariuki was shot on the left side of the head during the protests.
Also Read: Boniface Mwangi Declared Brain Dead
Police officers Apprehended
The police officer who allegedly shot Kariuki, a mask vendor, along with another officer accused of harassing him, were arrested and arraigned in court following public outrage.
The two officers — Klinzy Barasa Masinde and Duncan Kiprono — both attached to Kileleshwa Police Station, were arrested on June 18, 2025. Their arrests followed protests and public outcry over the shooting that occurred in Nairobi’s Central Business District on June 17, 2025.
Consequently, the officers were arraigned at the Milimani Law Courts on June 19, 2025, where they faced charges of causing grievous harm to Kariuki, who was shot in the head at close range while selling face masks during the protests.
Senior Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi granted the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) permission to detain the officers for 15 days at Capitol Hill Police Station, until July 3, 2025.
The ruling was made to allow the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) sufficient time to complete their investigations.
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