Two Police Officers Suspended Over Shooting of Hawker Boniface Kariuki
Kariuki, who sells face masks for a living, is currently in stable condition at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi after undergoing successful surgery.
Police constables Klinzy Barasa Masinde and Duncan Kiprono suspended after a viral video showed them assaulting and shooting unarmed hawker Boniface Kariuki on Moi Avenue. Photo/Citizen Digital.
By Gilbert Mmbaya
The National Police Service (NPS) has suspended two police officers linked to the shooting of an unarmed hawker, Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, in a shocking incident that occurred on Tuesday along Moi Avenue.
The officers — Police Constables Klinzy Barasa Masinde and Duncan Kiprono — were captured in a now-viral video, where one was seen assaulting the hawker while the other shot him at close range before leaving him for dead.
Kariuki, who sells face masks for a living, is currently in stable condition at Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi after undergoing successful surgery.
In a statement signed by NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga, the service confirmed the interdiction of the two officers and stated they are being processed by the DCI homicide team at headquarters, pending further action.
“The National Police Service deeply regrets this unjustified act and expresses solidarity with the victim and his family. We remain fully committed to ensuring that justice is served,” read the statement.
The identification and suspension of the officers follow widespread public outrage and mounting pressure on the police service to hold those responsible accountable.
The protests sparked by the shooting also saw renewed calls for the resignation of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat. However, the demonstrations later turned chaotic after being infiltrated by unruly groups.
In one widely circulated video, the officers are seen confronting the unarmed hawker before one of them fires a shot at close range, triggering national outrage and demands for justice.
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