A somber mood engulfed Murang’a County on Saturday as hundreds gathered to lay 22-year-old Boniface Kariuki to rest, following his tragic death from gunshot injuries sustained during the June 17 anti-government protests in Nairobi.
Kariuki, a humble hawker who sold face masks in the city streets, was shot at close range by a police officer while demonstrating alongside other youths. He was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital in critical condition and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit. Despite efforts to save him, he succumbed to his injuries on June 30 at 3:15 p.m.
The funeral procession began at Kenyatta University Funeral Home, where family, friends, and members of the public gathered for a final viewing. Emotions ran high as mourners queued in silence to pay their last respects. Some broke down in tears, while Kariuki’s mother collapsed in grief, inconsolable as mourners tried to comfort her.
A few attendees waved the Kenyan flag in symbolic mourning and solidarity, quietly protesting the circumstances that led to his death.
Security at the burial was visibly tight, with a heavy deployment of police officers. The heightened presence appeared to be a precautionary measure in response to recent tensions, including the chaos witnessed during the funeral of another protest victim, Albert Ojwang, where angry mourners torched Mawego Police Station in Homa Bay County.
Kariuki’s body was transported to his family home in Murang’a, where he was buried amid calls for justice and restraint in policing.
In a statement, the Murang’a County Government mourned Kariuki, describing him as a “humble and unarmed hawker” whose life was unjustly cut short. “Boniface… was tragically shot by police officers in Nairobi. He had been receiving treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital, where we hoped for his recovery, but sadly, he has since passed away,” the statement read.
As the country continues to grapple with the fallout from youth-led protests, Kariuki’s death has become a painful reminder of the high cost of police brutality and the need for urgent accountability in law enforcement practices.
