Masks seller shot by police during protests is brain dead, doctors says

John Kariuki and Susan Njeri Kariuki, the parents of Boniface Kariuki, the hawker who was shot by police, address a press briefing at Kenyatta National Hospital, Nairobi, on June 21, 2025. [David Gichuru,Standard]

Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, the 22-year-old mask vendor who was shot at point-blank range by a police officer during recent anti-police brutality protests, has been confirmed brain dead.

According to the family's spokesperson, Emily Wanjira, doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) informed the family that while Kariuki's body organs remain functional, his brain has completely ceased functioning.