Nairobi: Police Officer Who Shot Mask Vendor in Head during Protests Arrested

• The armed anti-riot police officer who waylaid a civilian and shot him at close range in Nairobi has been arrested
• Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, acting on the uproar of the Kenyan public, ordered the arrest of the officer
• Identified as Boniface Kariuki, the unsuspecting victim had stood in a walkway when the masked officer showed up with his colleague

Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Nairobi: An unidentified police officer caught on camera shooting at an unarmed civilian at close range has been arrested.

The anti-riot police sparked another round of public rage against law enforcers after he and his colleague accosted the young man selling face masks, opening fire at him unprovoked.

What action did IG Kanja take on rogue cop?

In an official statement, the National Police Service (NPS) confirmed having been seized of the matter and immediately instituted investigations.

The officer in question was apprehended at the directive of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and was being processed for arraignment.

"The National Police Service (NPS) has noted with great concern an incident involving the shooting of an unarmed civilian by a police officer using an anti-riot shotgun within the Nairobi Central Business District on 17th June 2025. Following this incident, the Inspector-General National Police Service ordered for the immediate arrest and arraignment in court of the involved officer. The said police officer has since been arrested," the statement from the NPS read partly.

At the same time, the NPS noted the infiltration of the protests by armed goons who were unleashing terror on peaceful protesters, destroying property and carrying out muggings.

The police indicated having commenced investigations and a crackdown on the groupings captured engaging in lawlessness during the protests.

"The NPS has noted a group of goons armed with crude weapons in today’s protests within the CBD. The NPS takes great exception and does not condone such unlawful groupings. Such individuals will be handled firmly, according to the law. Consequently, investigations have commenced to identify and deal with the criminals accordingly," the police said.

Did Boniface Kariuki die after shooting in Nairobi CBD

In the meantime, the victim of the shooting is fighting for his life at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH)'s emergency wing.

Identified as Boniface Kariuki, the young man had been mistaken for dead after he dropped to the ground at the pull of the trigger by the officer who had covered his face.

In a viral clip making the rounds on social media, Kariuki had shielded himself on a pavement when the visibly trigger-happy officer masking his face came running with his colleague as they fired to scare the protesters.

The victim stood still, with the officers charging toward him, the attacker clobbering him before shooting him in the head.

He dropped there bleeding profusely with his wares in his hands, the onlookers mistaking him for dead.

They ran to rescue and rush him to the hospital.

The rogue officers were among the contingents heavily deployed across the city to contain the protesters.

Meanwhile, Kenyans gathered behind the #JusticeforBonifaceKariuki banner on the X network to demand accountability from the police.

Why did Kenyans go into protests?

The protests were organised to disapprove of the murder of Ojwang in police custody.

Ojwang was killed inside Central Police Station following his arrest in connection with alleged defamation.

The murder, which got the status of being among the high-profile atrocities committed by the police against civilians in Kenya, sparked widespread rage, with the international community weighing in to demand justice.

Ojwang's murder instigated the temporary quitting of Eliud Lagat, the second in command in the Kenyan police service.

Lagat was pressured to give up his post, having been the complainant behind the ill-fated arrest of Ojwang.

Source: TUKO.co.ke