The Ministry of Health has announced a full waiver of medical bills for all patients injured during the June 17 and June 25 anti-government protests.
This compassionate directive includes the Ksh815,805 bill for Boniface Kariuki, the slain mask vendor who tragically spent two weeks in the Intensive Care Unit(ICU) at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) before succumbing to a gunshot injury.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale confirmed the waiver, directing KNH to charge all the incurred medical expenses directly to the hospital’s Disaster Emergency Fund.
“The recent demonstrations in Nairobi on June 17 and 25, 2025, resulted in injuries and emotional distress for many Kenyans. As a Ministry, our hearts go out to all those affected, and we remain committed to ensuring they receive the care and support they need,” Duale stated.
“As a result, I have directed the management of Kenyatta National Hospital to waive all medical bills for patients injured during the protests and charge them to the hospital's Disaster Emergency Fund,” he added.
Protests on Tuesday, June 17, were held in commemoration of slain teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang who died in police custody. The protests were mostly prevalent in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) and were marred by cases of police brutality and the infiltration of goons who looted shops and robbed civilians.
The June 17 protests were, however, overshadowed by the shooting of Kariuki by a police officer at point-blank range.
Kariuki miraculously survived the shooting and was rushed to KNH and taken to the ICU where he received specialised treatment for five days.
Close to two weeks after the shooting, Kariuki was declared brain dead by doctors with the family spokesperson noting that his brainstem was no longer functioning.
The mask vendor succumbed to his injury on Monday, June 30, at 3:15pm. Speaking to the press while announcing the death, the family claimed that the hospital bill had piled up to over Ksh3.5 million, contrary to CS Duale's claim that Kariuki's bill stands at Ksh815,805.
The June 25 protests, which took place in several areas across the country, amongst them the Nairobi CBD, saw a greater number of injuries and several casualties.
According to several sources, amongst them the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), over 400 people were injured during the protests. This included protesters, journalists and police officers. Of these, 83 were referred for specialised treatment with eight said to have gunshot wounds.
Emergency services in Nairobi reported that 300 people were injured in Nairobi alone, with 67 said to be in critical condition.
Speaking after the protests, Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen termed the protests an attempted coup and pledged government action against the suspected perpetrators of the chaos.
