MURANG’A, Kenya — Boniface Kariuki, the 22-year-old mask vendor who tragically succumbed to a gunshot wound to the head sustained during protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) on June 17, 2025, was laid to rest on Friday 11, July 2025 in Kangema, Murang’a County.
Kariuki was shot at close range and immediately transported to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he underwent surgery and remained in the Intensive Care Unit.
Dignitaries attending the funeral, including Murang’a Governor Irungu Kang’ata and Wiper leader Kalonzo Musyoka, strongly condemned the use of firearms by police during peaceful protests. They collectively called for justice for Boniface and the numerous other individuals who lost their lives at the hands of law enforcement.
The leaders also criticized the government’s directives on “shoot-to-maim” tactics targeting protesters engaged in business activities, warning that such orders would inevitably lead to more fatalities.
The burial ceremony took place a day after the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) officially approved murder charges against Police Constable Klinzy Masinde Barasa in connection with Kariuki’s fatal shooting.
