The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has approved murder charges against police officer Klinzy Barasa Masinde, who is accused of fatally shooting hawker Boniface Kariuki during the June 17 anti-brutality protests in Nairobi.
Masinde, who had been captured on video alongside fellow constable Duncan Kiprono manhandling the unarmed hawker before one of them shot him at close range, will be arraigned before High Court Judge Justice Kimondo on Friday. The shooting, which occurred in broad daylight along Moi Avenue, triggered public outrage and renewed calls to address police excesses and extrajudicial killings in Kenya.
Following the incident, both officers were interdicted. However, the DPP has since stated that only Masinde will be charged with murder, while Kiprono will not face any criminal charges in the case.
Boniface Kariuki, a well-known mask vendor in downtown Nairobi, was left for dead after the shooting. He was rushed to hospital where doctors discovered that he had four bullet fragments lodged in his brain. Two other fragments were surgically removed while he was still alive.
Despite efforts to stabilise him, Kariuki remained in critical condition for days before being pronounced dead over a week later. Pathology reports indicated that his brain may have stopped functioning well before the official time of death.
The case has become a focal point in ongoing national conversations around police accountability, with civil rights groups urging swift justice and comprehensive police reforms. The June protests, which were largely peaceful before the fatal incident, had been organised to denounce rising cases of extrajudicial killings and police harassment, particularly targeting street vendors and youth.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) launched investigations into the incident shortly after the video footage emerged, and their findings formed the basis of the DPP’s decision to press murder charges.
Kariuki’s death joins a grim tally of civilians allegedly killed by security officers in the line of duty, a pattern that watchdog groups say has continued with impunity. His family, while welcoming the DPP’s move, has called for full accountability, including compensation and the prosecution of all officers involved in abuses against protesters.
Friday’s arraignment will mark a significant step in a case that has become symbolic of the urgent need for reform within Kenya’s policing system. The outcome is likely to set a precedent for how similar incidents will be handled moving forward.