Former police spokesman Charles Owino has blamed mask seller Boniface Kariuki for insulting a police officer moments before he was shot in the head.
Kariuki died in the ICU more than a week after being shot during the #JusticeForAlbertOjwang protests in Nairobi.
Owino said that although the shooting was regrettable, it may have been triggered by Kariuki’s words.
He described the exchange as “simple” but said a closer listen to the video clip of the shooting incident shows Boniface Kariuki hurling insults at the officer.
“If you listen to that clip closely, you will hear that boy abusing the policeman,” Owino said.
“But you are an officer, you must have restraint, and shoot him with a rubber bullet. You can see what it has caused the image of the police so far.”
Should Officers Carelessly Shoot Live Bullets?
Charles Owino acknowledged that the officer should not have used live ammunition, but suggested that the young age of the officer, Klinzy Barasa, may have made it difficult for him to stay calm under pressure.
“Such a young boy… If you abuse him… you know what may happen,” Owino added.
Owino explained that police are trained to act alone in sudden situations, especially during chaotic protests. He said officers are taught when it is legally justifiable to use a firearm, though they are also expected to act with restraint.
He also referenced Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen’s shoot-on-sight directive, saying that it was a response to the rising tension from ongoing Gen Z-led protests, which Murkomen had earlier called an attempted coup.
“The minister can only give instructions to the IG in writing and on matters of policy. That is what the constitution provides,” said Owino. “But sometimes, a minister feels incapacitated by the situation on the ground.”
Kariuki’s Condition and Legal Action
Boniface Kariuki was shot on June 17, 2025, along Mondlane Street in Nairobi’s CBD. He was later declared brain dead by doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital, though his organs are still functioning. His family says some bullet fragments remain lodged in his brain and have not been removed.
It is unclear whether the two officers involved in the incident, Klinzy Baraza Masinde and Duncan Kiprono, have been interdicted for further investigation.
Meanwhile, the government has waived Kariuki’s hospital bills and those of other victims injured during the June 25 protests. The move came amid growing public outrage and demands for justice.
By Vivian K.