NAIROBI, Kenya— Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, the 22-year-old mask vendor who became a national symbol of police brutality after being shot at close range during the June 17 anti-government protests, has died.
Kariuki passed away at 3:15pm on Monday, June 30, nearly two weeks after he was shot in the head by a police officer during demonstrations along Tom Mboya Street in Nairobi.
He had been fighting for his life in the Intensive Care Unit at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) since that day, undergoing multiple surgeries while on life support.
His death comes just a day after his family confirmed he had been declared brain dead.
According to the family spokesperson, doctors informed them early Sunday morning that Kariuki’s brainstem had ceased functioning — a medical diagnosis that signaled there was no hope of recovery, even though machines continued to keep his heart beating.
“We knew what it meant,” the spokesperson said. “We were just waiting for the inevitable.”
Kenyan law prohibits families from terminating life support until cardiac death is confirmed, meaning Kariuki remained on a ventilator for hours after being declared brain dead.
His shooting, captured in a chilling viral video, sparked widespread outrage. The footage shows two police officers confronting Kariuki, unarmed and visibly distressed, before one fires a round directly into his head. He collapsed instantly, bleeding onto the street as protesters rushed to his aid.
At KNH, Kariuki underwent a series of delicate procedures, including a craniotomy to remove what doctors initially described as a rubber bullet lodged in his skull. The hospital later confirmed bullet fragments were still embedded in his brain, causing extensive damage.
Despite round-the-clock care and public appeals for support, Kariuki never regained consciousness.
His story became a rallying cry during the Gen Z-led protests sweeping across Kenya, as demonstrators called for justice, police accountability, and the end of extrajudicial killings. Rights groups have since listed Kariuki among at least 16 protesters killed during the demonstrations — most of them allegedly shot by law enforcement.
Now, as tributes pour in online and from civil society, there is growing pressure on the government to hold those responsible accountable. The two officers seen in the video — Klinzy Barasa Masinde and Duncan Kiprono — have since been interdicted and are under investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
But for many, that’s not enough.
Kariuki’s name joins a growing list of young Kenyans who paid the ultimate price for daring to protest. He wasn’t a criminal. He wasn’t violent. He was a street vendor trying to survive — until a bullet silenced him in broad daylight.
