Boniface Kariuki, a mask vendor who was shot by a police officer during protests on Tuesday, June 17, has been declared brain dead.
Speaking to the press at the Kenyatta National Hospital on Sunday, Kariuki's family revealed that the doctors had advised them that his brainstem is no longer functioning.
As it stands, the family is waiting for the doctors to officially declare him clinically dead.
Medically, being brain-dead means that the brain has completely stopped functioning and the damage is irreversible. A brain-dead person cannot breathe without mechanical support, making the individual legally dead, even if their heart continues to beat with the aid of a ventilator.
The family spokesperson told journalists that they had received a call from the hospital at around midnight, where they were informed that he was brain-dead.
"We received a call from the hospital at 12.47am saying that they needed to have a brief with us, and we have been told what is happening," she stated.
"The reality of things is that Boniface Mwangi Kariuki is declared brain-dead. The hospital bill is now higher than Ksh3 million. We are praying and hoping for the well-wishers because when someone is declared brain dead, we know what it means, so the brainstem of Boniface Mwangi Kariuki is not working any longer."
Kariuki's father, Jonah Kariuki, revealed that although his son's brain was not functioning anymore, his heart was still beating.
He therefore sought the help of Kenyans to help pay the bills that have accumulated since his son was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) following his shooting on Tuesday, June 17.
While giving an update on the protest casualties a day after, the hospital's KNH CEO, Dr William Sigilai, revealed that the mask vendor had already undergone surgery to remove a bullet-like object from his brain.
Although he said further forensic tests needed to be made first, Sigilai stated that the object might have been a rubber bullet.
As Kenyans marched for the justice of Albert Ojwang, who was killed in a police cell, two police officers were captured on camera harassing Kariuki before one shot him at point-blank range and rendered him unconscious.
Unfortunately, his family was swindled out of Ksh200,000, adding to their tribulations as their son fought for his life in the hospital.
