Former Police Spokesperson Charles Owino has stirred controversy by suggesting that hawker Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, who was shot in the head during anti-police brutality protests in Nairobi, insulted the police officer who opened fire.
Speaking during a Citizen TV interview on Monday, Owino claimed a video clip of the incident shows Kariuki hurling a verbal slur at one of the officers involved. “It was a very simple exchange. If you listen closely, you will hear that boy abusing the policeman,” Owino said. “But as an officer, you must have restraint and shoot him with a rubber bullet.”
The former spokesperson emphasized that while the shooting was regrettable, the officer may have acted emotionally due to his young age. “Such a young boy… If you abuse him, you know what may happen,” he said, referring to the accused officer, Klinzy Baraza Masinde.
Owino added that police are trained on the justifiable use of firearms but acknowledged that officers often make quick decisions without referring to rules or superiors. “There are certain circumstances that require them to act on their own if they need to act swiftly,” he said.
Boniface Kariuki was shot along Mondlane Street in Nairobi’s Central Business District on June 17 and was declared brain dead on Sunday. His family spokesperson, Emily Wanjira, said that while his organs are still functioning, doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital have confirmed his brain activity has ceased.
“There are more bullet fragments still lodged in his brain,” Wanjira added, highlighting the severity of his injuries.
The two officers involved—Klinzy Baraza and Duncan Kiprono—have since been interdicted and are under investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). They remain in custody as the probe continues.
Owino also referenced Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s contentious shoot-on-sight orders, issued on June 26, following widespread Gen Z-led protests. He suggested Murkomen was compelled to act due to a perceived loss of control. However, legal experts have criticized the directive as unconstitutional and dangerous.
The incident has ignited national outrage and renewed calls for police accountability and restraint during public demonstrations.
