The family of street vendor Boniface Mwangi Kariuki has confirmed his death after he was shot by police during protests. His killing has reignited anger over police violence as Kenya faces fresh unrest.
The family of Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, the 22-year-old mask vendor who wasshot at point-blank rangeby a police officer during recent protests, has confirmed that he has died on Monday afternoon.
Kariuki was shot in the head while appearing to be a bystander during demonstrations over thedeath of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody.
On Sunday, family spokesperson Emily Wanjira said that Kariuki had been pronounced "brain dead" by doctors, Kenyan newspaperThe Standardreported.
A day later, she confirmed that he had passed away.
The shooting, witnessed by DW's Nairobi correspondent Felix Maringa, has reignited outrage over police brutality in Kenya.
Two policemen were said to have repeatedly struck the man before one of them fired at him, using a long-barrelled gun, as he tried to walk away.
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He spent nearly two weeks on life support before doctors told his family that his heart was still beating but his brain had stopped functioning.
Two officers have beenarrested in connection with Kariuki's shootingon June 17, while six people — including three police officers — face charges overOjwang's death.
Kariuki's death comes as Kenya grapples withbroader unrest that has turned deadly. Nationwide protests, which began as a commemoration of last year's anti-tax demonstrations, turned deadly when clashes erupted and businesses were looted in Nairobi's business district.
The Kenyan National Commission on Human Rights says at least 19 people were killed and more than 500 injured in what the interior minister has called an "attempted coup." Police say they have arrested 485 people on charges ranging from murder to terrorism.
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While President William Ruto has vowed to end police brutality, his interior minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, sparked further anger last week by telling police to "shoot on sight" anyone approaching police stations during protests. The Kenya Law Society condemned the remarks as illegal and warned that any unjustified force would be treated as a premeditated crime.
Human rights groups have continued to call for accountability and an end to illegal arrests, detentions and the alleged torture of government critics.