Identities of Police Officers Behind Shooting of Mask Hawker Revealed

Police constables Masinde Barasa and Duncan Kiprono arrested after viral video shows them shooting street vendor during protests in Nairobi CBD

Two police officers who shot a street vendor during Tuesday’s protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District have been identified and arrested, ending speculation about the identities of the perpetrators captured in a shocking viral video.

Police Constables Masinde Barasa and Duncan Kiprono, both stationed at Kileleshwa Police Station, are now in custody at Capitol Hill Police Station and are expected to be arraigned in court today following the incident that has sparked nationwide outrage.

The dramatic confrontation was captured on video, showing the two heavily armed officers approaching 22-year-old Boniface Kariuki, who was selling face masks along Moi Avenue.

The officers are based at Nairobi’s Kileleshwa Police Station, where they were deployed from during the ugly scenes witnessed yesterday.

In the now-viral footage, the officers can be seen briefly assaulting Kariuki before one of them opens fire at point-blank range, shooting him in the head. The young hawker collapsed instantly, still clutching the bundle of masks he was selling, as the officers walked away with their faces concealed beneath helmets.

Witnesses described the man as unarmed and non-threatening, with no provocation to justify the use of deadly force. The incident occurred during protests that erupted following the death of blogger Alfred Ojwang in police custody, adding to public anger over police brutality in Kenya.

Victim’s condition

Boniface Kariuki remains in critical condition at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), where he is receiving intensive care following emergency neurosurgery.

The vendor – later identified as Boniface Kariuki – was shot point-blank by an anti-riot officer, triggering calls for his arrest and prosecution.

John Kariuki visited his son at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), where he was taken after being shot during protests in Nairobi. He sustained a serious head injury. The father, who traveled from his rural home after learning of his son’s condition, expressed shock and frustration at the unprovoked attack on his firstborn child.

Dr. Patrick Amoth, Director General for Health, confirmed that the patient underwent emergency surgery with a dedicated neurosurgical team and was later moved to the ICU for post-surgical monitoring.

“He was then brought here to Kenyatta Hospital, where he’s currently being treated by doctors. I have personally seen him together with his father, Jonah Kariuki, and I can confirm that he is alive.”

Hours after the incident, the National Police Service issued a statement acknowledging what had occurred and announced that one of the officers had been arrested.

The officers’ lawyer, Felix Kiprono, confirmed that both constables are expected to appear in court today to face charges related to the shooting.

A Kenyan police officer has been arrested over the shooting of an unarmed civilian on Tuesday during protests in the capital Nairobi touched off by the death of a blogger in police custody, a police spokesperson said.

The shooting has intensified public anger over police brutality in Kenya, with citizens placing flowers, stones, and soil at the spot where Kariuki was shot as a mark of respect and protest.

The vendor was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital, where he is receiving treatment, but is still in critical condition.

Senator Okiya Omtatah, who attempted to visit Kariuki at the hospital, condemned the incident and called for accountability.

The shooting has become a symbol of what critics describe as excessive use of force by Kenyan police during public demonstrations.

The shooting occurred during protests over the death of blogger Alfred Ojwang, who died in police custody earlier this month.