Kenyan comedian and activist Eric Omondi has launched a public fundraiser to support Boniface Kariuki, a 22-year-old hawker who was shot in the head by police during protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District on Tuesday, June 17, 2025.
In a touching act of solidarity, Eric Omondi visited the family in Murang’a County and vowed to stand with them during this difficult time.
He first began the search for Boniface’s mother on Wednesday evening by asking his followers to help locate her, saying he had been informed that she was from Kangema, Murang’a County.
On Thursday, June 19, 2025, the comedian shared a message on his social media platform X, urging Kenyans to support Boniface’s parents, Susan Nyambura and Jonah Kariuki, through donations.
The philanthropist known for his Team Sisi kwa Sisi initiative explained that Boniface comes from a humble background and appealed to well-wishers to send contributions directly to the parents through their mobile numbers.
“Last night I visited the Mother and Father of Boniface Kariuki Deep in Muranga County…Boniface comes from an extremely humble background. We are going to Stand with this Family. Please send whatever you can to the Mother’s number on 0700 463254 (NAME: SUSAN NYAMBURA) and the Father’s Number 0726 116292 (NAME: JONAH KARIUKI) GOD BLESS YOU,” Omondi wrote.
Deadly protests
The peaceful protests turned chaotic when police officers used live bullets and force to disperse the demonstrators.
Boniface, who sells face masks in the CBD to earn a living, was caught in the chaos and shot in the head. He was first taken to a private clinic before being transferred to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), where doctors are currently giving him critical care.
KNH Chief Executive Officer William Sigilai confirmed that Kariuki arrived in a critical condition with a serious gunshot wound on the left side of his head. Sigilai said the hospital had received a total of 16 casualties from the protests, most of them suffering from gunshot wounds and blunt force trauma.
Out of those, seven patients were admitted while nine were treated and discharged. Two have already undergone surgery, and four more are waiting for operations. One patient remains unidentified and is reported to have a skull fracture.
Speaking to the media outside the hospital on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, Boniface’s father, Jonah Kariuki, confirmed that the injured man was his son. He described him as a hardworking young man who has been hustling to make a living just like his father. The family lives in Makadara, and both father and son work as hawkers in Nairobi.
Jonah spoke with emotion about the hardship they had faced and the pain of seeing his son wounded. He said Boniface had shown slight improvement since his admission to the hospital, and the family remains hopeful for his recovery.
The shooting of Boniface has sparked national outrage. Several human rights groups and political leaders have condemned the violent police response to the protests.
