Two police officers who were caught on video shooting a face mask vendor will remain in police custody for 15 days pending further investigations, a court has ruled.
The two, Police Constables Klinzy Barasa Masinde (No. 119413) and Duncan Kiprono (No. 117193), were arraigned on Thursday, June 19, at the Milimani Law Courts to answer to charges relating to the shooting, which left a hawker fighting for his life.
The decision to hold the two officers was arrived at after their lawyers agreed with the prosecution, who sought to hold the pair for at least 15 more days to allow for the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to complete investigations of the case.
“In an attempt to compromise by the applicant’s team and also since it has been conceded by the respondent, the two suspects will be remanded at the Capitol Hill police station for 15 days,” the Judge ruled.
Following the ruling, and if IPOA is able to conclude their investigations in the stipulated time, the two officers will appear in court again on July 3.
Constables Barasa and Kiprono have found themselves in the eye of the storm after they were caught on camera assaulting and shooting a hawker, identified as Boniface Kariuki, during Tuesday's chaotic protests in Nairobi CBD.
In the now-viral video, the two are seen encountering Kariuki at Imenti House along Mondlane Street. One officer slaps the hawker who had his hands up, as a scuffle erupts. The hawker falls to the ground, before one officer, said to be Kiprono hits him with the butt of his gun.
Seconds later, Barasa aims his gun and shoots the hawker on the head at point blank range. It would later emerge Kariuki was shot with a rubber bullet and is fighting for his life at the Kenyatta National Hospital.
After their arrest and arraignment, the two officers were also suspended from official duty, pending the conclusion of their case.
The case also took another notable turn on Thursday, as the vocal lawyer representing the police officers withdrew from the case, citing a string of threats online.
Felix Keaton said in a statement on Thursday, June 19, that he is leaving the highly charged case in order to protect himself and his family.
“I have received over 1,000 messages and calls from Gen Z because of representing a police suspect. As such, I hereby recuse myself from the conduct of the matter,” he stated.
Meanwhile, Kariuki’s family is urgently calling for the prosecution of Baraza, who was the officer caught on camera firing the near-fatal shot.
