Boniface Kariuki: 2 Police Officers in Shooting of Nairobi Hawker Detained for 15 Days
- Two policemen caught on camera attacking and shooting a civilian during protests in Nairobi will be in custody for an additional 15 days
- IPOA had prayed the court to detain the duo for 21 days to allow it ample time to conclude its investigations
- Identified as Duncan Kiprono and Klinzy Barasa, the two officers caused uproar after waylaying and shooting at Boniface Kariuki, who had not provoked them
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Police Constables Duncan Kiprono and Klinzy Barasa will remain in custody for the next 15 days to allow the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to probe their conduct.
Source: UGC
The duo are accused of unprovokedly clobbering and shooting Boniface Kariuki during protests in Nairobi on June 17.
Trial magistrate BenMark Ekhubi ruled that the two officers be held for two weeks, after which IPOA will be expected to have finalised their investigations with a recommendation for charges.
In its miscellaneous application, IPOA sought to have the duo detained for 21 days.
The two officers were interdicted by the National Police Service (NPS), calling their spectacle "an unjustified act".
They were taken to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) ahead of their arraignment.
Meanwhile, Boniface Kariuki, whom the officers shot, is fighting for his life in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
What is Boniface Kariuki's condition at KNH?
The 22-year-old was booked at the theatre where a two-hour medical operation helped remove the projectile stuck in his head.
In its update, the hospital, through its chief executive officer William Sigilai, revealed that the round believed to be a rubber bullet pierced through Boniface's left side of the head.
It caused him severe brain injury.
After the operation, he was transferred to the ICU, where he is currently on mechanical ventilation and under full-time check by the doctors.
How Boniface Kariuki was attacked
The hawker was selling face masks to protesters when he was waylaid and shot.
The officers were captured running after protesters while shooting indiscriminately when they set out for Boniface, who had taken cover at a closed entrance.
Source: UGC
The officers clobbered him in turns, with PC Barasa finishing it by opening fire at the victim despite him having raised his hands to signal surrender.
Boniface fell while bleeding as the killer cops took off.
He was taken to the nearby Bliss Hospital for first aid before the referral to KNH.
What did IPOA say about Boniface Kariuki?
Weighing in on the hawker's attack, the Independent Policing Authority (IPOA) said the incident "signified the professional policing gaps that have to be bridged in public order management and adherence to the rights of arrested persons."
IPOA restated the police conduct to the officers of the law, including the Sixth Schedule of the NPS Act, which outlines the conditions for the use of force by police officers.
To restore public confidence, the agency called on Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, to bring the service to order and sanction full compliance with the existing legislative frameworks that stipulate how the police should work.
IPOA reported being in receipt of 13 cases of injuries resulting from the June 17 protests.
The protests were organised to disapprove of police brutality and demand justice for blogger Albert Ojwang, who was killed while in police custody.
Source: TUKO.co.ke
