NAIROBI, Kenya — A man identified by witnesses as a hawker selling masks to demonstrators was shot by police outside Imenti House in Nairobi on Tuesday, amid protests demanding justice for blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang’, who died in police custody last week.
The fatal shooting was captured live on mobile phones by other protesters, with disturbing footage circulating online showing two armed officers confronting the man identified as Boniface Kariuki, moments before one of them opened fire.
“Damn, he has shot him,” one protester is heard exclaiming in horror as the victim collapses, while the two officers are then seen walking away casually.
“This man was just selling water. He was just shot dead at close range as he stood there. This is so wrong!,” a visibly distraught woman said, wailing moments after the shooting, underscoring the raw anger that erupted across Nairobi’s CBD following the incident.
Witnesses uniformly described the deceased man as unarmed and non-threatening, with no apparent provocation to justify the use of deadly force.
“He was not even protesting. He was simply going about his hustle, selling masks. How do you shoot someone like that?” asked Brian Mwangi, another protester who was nearby when the shooting occurred.
The protests, which had begun peacefully earlier in the day, quickly escalated, marked by clashes with riot police and attacks by suspected hired goons on motorbikes.
At least two motorcycles were subsequently torched by angry demonstrators who accused the riders of violently robbing protesters with the apparent protection of law enforcement.
Several journalists covering the demonstration also reported being harassed and robbed of their equipment and personal belongings.
Despite these multiple incidents, there was no immediate intervention from police, sparking allegations of state-sanctioned disruption of civic action.
The protestors, many of them youth, were primarily demanding the arrest and prosecution of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat, whose defamation complaint against Ojwang’ reportedly led to the blogger’s arrest and eventual death at the Central Police Station.
While Lagat announced he had “stepped aside” on Monday, activists contend that this gesture falls far short of true accountability.
“Stepping aside is not justice. It’s not accountability. Eliud Lagat must be arrested and charged with murder,” asserted Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of VOCAL Africa.
Albert Ojwang’, a vocal government critic and teacher, was arrested in Homa Bay on June 6 for allegedly defaming Lagat through social media posts. He was subsequently transferred to Nairobi and found dead two days later.
While initial police claims suggested he had collapsed in his cell, a subsequent postmortem examination revealed blunt force trauma to the head, neck compression, and other injuries consistent with torture.
Also Read: Kenya’s deputy police chief Eliud Lagat steps aside amid probe into Albert Ojwang’ death
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since named 17 officers as suspects in Ojwang’s death and has so far arrested three, including the Central Police Station OCS.
Civilian detainees and a CCTV technician are also reportedly under investigation in connection with the case.
Tuesday’s killing of the unarmed hawker adds a new, tragic layer to the growing public outrage over extrajudicial police killings in Kenya, a concern that has particularly intensified against young men since massive “Gen Z” protests against the Finance Bill began on June 25 last year.
“He was not part of the protest. He was just trying to earn a living. Now his life is gone, just like that,” lamented protester Cynthia Achieng.
As calls for justice swell, demonstrators have vowed to return to the streets, resolute until all those responsible for both deaths are brought to justice. “We are not leaving this fight,” declared student activist Daniel Okoth. “If they think they can silence us with bullets, they are wrong. We will return.”
