Following a requiem mass at All Saints Cathedral on Wednesday, July 9, in remembrance of Boniface Kariuki, who was shot on the June 17 protests, the police disrupted a candle lighting ceremony later that day, which was held in Nairobi CBD.
The tribute, which took place at the exact spot where Boniface Kariuki was shot at close range, drew several youths who lit candles, carried banners having Boniface’s portrait, and sang the national anthem.
The ceremony was meant to honour Boniface Kariuki and demand justice for his killing.
However, a video shared on social media shows the solemn ceremony was quickly interrupted when police officers began firing tear gas canisters to disperse the gathering.
Despite the dispersal efforts by the police, some mourners stood their ground, braving the gas as they held Boniface’s banner. Boniface Kariuki was shot at close range during the Tuesday, June 17, protests, and was pronounced dead on Monday, June 30.
After a postmortem was conducted at the Kenyatta National Hospital Funeral Home, pathologist Peter Ndegwa confirmed that Boniface Kariuki died after a bullet penetrated his brain.
“Well, the problem of head injury, especially, is bleeding in the brain, and on the brain, or around the brain. And the bleeding here was global,” Ndegwa said.
He further revealed that four more rubber bullet fragments were removed from Boniface’s head during the exercise.
“During the exercise, we also found some bullet fragments in the brain that were not removed during the first operation. They were four and blackish rubber fragments,” he said.
Boniface Kariuki will be laid to rest on Friday, July 11, at Karirau village, Muranga county.
