Family of Kenyan man shot at close range by police demands accountability

The family of a Kenyan civilian who was shot by police during the latest protests over the alleged killing of a blogger in police custody on Wednesday demanded accountability for the violence.

The 22-year-old Boniface Kariuki, a hawker like his father, was holding a packet of face masks and is believed to have been caught up in a confrontation with two officers in Nairobi as hundreds of protesters clashed with police. One officer, who had concealed his face with a mask, shot him at close range in the head as he walked away.

Tuesday's protests in the capital followed tensions over the death of the blogger, Albert Ojwang, who was found dead while in custody at the Central Police Station. Ojwang was arrested on June 6 in western Kenya for what police called publishing “false information” about a top police official on social media. Police attributed his death to him “hitting his head against the cell wall,” but activists have questioned the cause of death.

Kariuki's family told journalists that their only son remained under intensive care after he underwent surgery on Tuesday night.

At the family's home in Murang'a County, in the highlands of central Kenya, neighbors spoke of nervousness about letting their children travel to Nairobi in search of work due to rising cases of police brutality.

Kariuki's mother, Susan Njeri, told The Associated Press that she last spoke to her son on Sunday, urging him to be safe during the planned protests. “If they saw him with a stone or a baton, it would make sense to shoot him," she said. "But none of this makes sense. It was not a confrontation, he was just hustling.”

A history of police brutality

Police in a statement expressed concern and said that two officers, Klinzy Barasa and Duncan Kiprono, had been arrested and were being processed by detectives for "further action."

The judiciary in a statement on Wednesday said it was committed to “uphold justice” in all cases including those involving alleged police brutality. Kenya has a history of police brutality, and President William Ruto previously vowed to end it, along with extrajudicial killings.

Keziah Njeri, Boniface Kariuki's grandmother, called on the president to uphold this promise.

"Us as parents of Kenyans, we are praying to this government of Ruto to have mercy on our children. It is not only Boniface, but we are also mourning all the children killed" she said.

Last year, several activists and protesters were abducted and killed by Kenyan police during protests against tax hikes. The demonstrations led to calls for Ruto's removal.