Former police spokesperson Charles Owino has ignited public anger after appearing to justify the police shooting of 19-year-old hawker Boniface Kariuki, who remains in the ICU at Kenyatta National Hospital following a point-blank gunshot wound to the head during the June 25 Nairobi protests.
Speaking in an interview on Citizen TV, Owino claimed Kariuki had insulted the officer moments before the shooting, framing the altercation as a “simple exchange gone wrong.”
“If you listen to that clip closely you will hear that boy abusing the policeman,” Owino said. “But you are an officer—you must have restraint”
He admitted the officer failed in conduct, but stopped short of calling the act criminal. Instead, Owino appeared to shift partial blame onto Kariuki, stating, “Such a young boy [officer]… if you abuse him… You know what may happen.”
His remarks have drawn sharp criticism, with many accusing him of excusing excessive force and dehumanising a victim whose only crime appears to have been standing on a city street with his merchandise.
A widely shared video from the incident shows Kariuki surrounded by officers before one aims directly at him and fires. Kariuki collapses as bystanders scream in horror—a scene that has come to symbolise the brutality of recent state responses to the Gen Z-led protests.
Boniface’s father, in an emotional plea from outside KNH, said, “I’ve struggled to raise my son, and I am sad. But his condition is stable, and I pray he will get better.”
Former Chief Justice David Maraga also condemned the shooting in no uncertain terms:
“Boniface Kariuki was shot point blank, cold, without a drop of humanity.”
Maraga blamed the government for what he termed “deployment of rogue security operatives to terrorise Kenyans.”
Meanwhile, public pressure continues to mount on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Interior Ministry, with demands for criminal accountability, not just internal disciplinary actions, in cases of police shootings.
Owino’s remarks have only poured fuel on a national fire that is already burning with grief, anger, and calls for justice.
