The family of face mask vendor Boniface Kariuki, who was shot by a police officer during protests in Nairobi, is urgently calling for the prosecution of Masinde Baraza, the officer caught shooting Kariuki.
Speaking from Murang’a, Kariuki’s mother referred to her son as the family’s rock and urged the government to enact strict policies to stop police brutality.
Kariuki's mother, along with other family members, said that her son was modest and diligent, and that she learnt of his shooting via social media.
During protests in the Central Business District on Tuesday, June 17, Kariuki was shot at close range.
In footage seen by Kenyans.co.ke, the officer and his colleague approach Kariuki at Mondlane Street along Moi Avenue. Instead of passing the man, the police officer and his colleague paused, with one slapping the victim.
The other police officer then hit the man with the butt of his gun just moments before the first officer aimed his gun at him and shot him at close range.
The clip, which went viral, sparked massive outrage amongst Kenyans, resulting in Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja revealing that Baraza and colleague Duncan Kiptoo, who physically assaulted Kariuki, had been arrested.
Police further revealed that the officers were based at Nairobi's Kileleshwa Police Station, where they were deployed from during the ugly scenes witnessed on Tuesday.
The officers, who are police constables, are currently being held at the Capitol Hill Police Station in Nairobi while awaiting arraignment in court.
The family’s demands came hours after Kariuki’s father had spoken to the press for the first time, where he expressed his frustration over his son’s situation.
According to him, at around 8pm, he received a phone call from Kariuki's close associate, who confirmed that indeed his son had been shot by police officers in the city centre.
In his speech, Boniface's father dismissed allegations that his son had passed away and clarified that Kariuki was alive and had successfully undergone a surgical procedure on Tuesday evening.
"I visited my son in the ICU; he was in a dire condition and placed on oxygen. His heart was still beating. But when I saw him at the hospital, I became hopeful," said Kairuki's father.
