Boniface Kariuki, the 29-year-old hawker who was fatally shot during the June 17 protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District, was laid to rest on Friday in his home village in Kangema, Murang’a County. His burial comes amid growing public outrage and a renewed national conversation about police brutality and extra-judicial killings in Kenya.
Kariuki’s death sent shockwaves across the country after he was shot in the head at close range by a police officer while peacefully protesting against the Finance Bill 2025. He was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he underwent emergency surgery and remained in the Intensive Care Unit for two weeks. He was later declared brain dead, and a postmortem confirmed he had died from a severe head injury, with four bullet fragments lodged in his brain.
On Thursday, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) approved murder charges against Police Constable Klinzy Masinde Barasa, the officer accused of shooting Kariuki. His co-accused, Duncan Kiprono, has been released. The decision to prosecute Barasa has been welcomed by human rights organisations and protesters who have been demanding accountability for the killing.
At Kariuki’s requiem mass held on Wednesday at the Holy Family Basilica in Nairobi, family, friends, and fellow Kenyans mourned a man they described as honest, hardworking, and committed to improving his life. Speakers called for justice and an end to the routine use of deadly force by police officers during peaceful demonstrations.
“We will not let Boniface’s death be in vain,” one speaker said. “He stood for his rights, and he paid the ultimate price.”
Kariuki’s death has become a symbol of the increasing risks faced by young Kenyans taking to the streets to express their frustrations. His story has further galvanized the ongoing #RejectFinanceBill2025 movement, with demonstrators now also demanding deep reforms in the police service.
As his family bids farewell, Kenyans continue to call for justice not just for Kariuki, but for all victims of police violence. His name now joins a growing list of those who died while seeking change in a country grappling with governance, justice, and equality.
