President William Ruto has reportedly donated Ksh1 million to the family of deceased mask vendor, Boniface Kariuki, who was shot during the June 17 protests.
The donation was presented by the Kangema MP, Peter Irungu Kihungi, who visited the family on July 2 to condole with them following his passing on July 1.
"On behalf of President William Samoei Ruto, we conveyed his condolences and his commitment to ensuring justice is served. The President also extended a contribution of KSh 1 million to support the family with funeral arrangements, he stated.
The MP was joined by other area politicians, including Murang’a Woman Representative Betty Maina, Maragua MP Mary Wamaua, and the area MCA, Moses Muchiri.
Besides the contribution from the President, the MP claimed that the leaders had assured the family of their full support, without revealing the amount of monetary support they donated, if any.
To ensure justice for the family's deceased kin, the leaders also tagged along a representative from the Ministry of Interior who represented Principal Secretary, Raymond Omollo.
After the family raised concerns about the inability to record a statement with the police, the ministry committed to following up the matter immediately to ensure this process is facilitated without further delay.
"Boniface’s death is a painful reminder of the urgent need for accountability in our security agencies. We will not rest until justice is done," Kihungi said.
Following Kariuki's confirmed death on July 1 after two weeks in intensive care at the Kenyatta National Hospital, the family decried the massive hospital bill that had accumulated to over Ksh3.6 million.
At the time, the family claimed that neither the hospital nor any politician had offered help to clear the bill.
While the Ksh1 million offered by the President is just a fraction of the total bill, according to the leaders , it is meant to "support the family with funeral arrangements."
Kariuki was shot in the head while selling face masks to protesters who had been calling for justice for blogger Albert Ojwang, who had passed in police custody a few days prior.
Despite an emergency surgery that retrieved the bullet from his head, he was declared brain dead 12 days later and subsequently clinically dead a day later when his heart stopped beating. He will be buried on July 11.
