The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has approved a murder charge against a police officer accused of fatally shooting a mask vendor in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD).
In a statement issued on July 10, 2025, the DPP stated that the officer allegedly shot Boniface Kariuki on June 17, 2025, outside Imenti House. Kariuki later succumbed to his injuries while undergoing treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital.
“Justice Kimondo directed that the suspect be remanded at Nairobi Remand Prison and undergo mental assessment before he is charged with murder,” read part of the statement.
The 32-year-old police constable, Klinzy Barasa Masinde, appeared before Justice Kanyi Kimondo in Milimani High Court.
The suspect is expected to be presented to court on 28th July 2025 for plea taking.
Police to Face Murder Charges
The National Police Service (NPS) confirmed on June 17, 2025, that the police officer who allegedly shot Kariuki had been arrested. Additionally, they revealed that Barasa Masinde discharged an anti-riot shotgun at Boniface Kariuki during a protest in Nairobi’s CBD.
Following the incident, Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja ordered the immediate arrest and arraignment of the officer involved.
“Following this incident, the Inspector-General National Police Service ordered the immediate arrest and arraignment in court of the involved officer. The said police officer has since been arrested,” read a statement from NPS.
Also Read: Autopsy Reveals Cause of Hawker Boniface Kariuki Death
Boniface Kariuki is Dead
Kariuki died on June 30, 2025, after a confirmation by family spokesperson Emily Wanjira, who stated that he passed away at 3:15 p.m.
“We will now have to get the total bill because we have been told he is no more,” she said.
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.
On Sunday, June 29, 2025, doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) informed them that their son had been declared brain dead.
Also Read: Mask Vendor Boniface Kariuki is Dead
Kariuki at KNH
Boniface 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 was performed 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.
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