Boniface Kariuki, the 22-year-old mask vendor who was shot in the head by police during the June 25 anti-government protests in Nairobi, has died, bringing to a close a harrowing two-week struggle for survival that gripped the nation.
The confirmation came from the family on Monday, June 30, 2025, with Boniface’s father, John Kariuki, offering a deeply emotional account of the last moments leading to his son’s death.
“I came to the hospital yesterday,” the grieving father said. “Then today we came again and found that his condition was still as it was yesterday. While we were outside, we were called back in and informed that at exactly 3:15 pm, he had passed away.”
Boniface was shot at close range while attempting to distance himself from a protest zone where chaos had erupted. He was unarmed, carrying only the face masks he was selling — a haunting detail that has made his story a national symbol of innocence caught in the crossfire of state brutality.
Video footage of the shooting, which went viral on social media, shows Boniface being hit in the head by a police officer. For days, he remained in critical condition, later being declared brain dead before his passing was ultimately confirmed.
Family spokesperson Emily Wanjiru, who had previously spoken on the family’s behalf, said the loss of Boniface had left a deep void and called on Kenyans to support both their legal and financial journey in pursuit of justice.
“We have lost him. What we are asking for now is justice for our child, and help with the medical and funeral costs,” she said.
