Nairobi, June 30- Kenyans have expressed outrage after former police spokesperson Charles Owino appeared to defend the police officer who shot Boniface Kariuki, the hawker critically injured during anti-police brutality protests in Nairobi.
Speaking on Citizen TV, Owino claimed that Kariuki had verbally insulted the officer before being shot, suggesting that the provocation may have triggered the fatal response.
“That boy abused the policeman,” Owino said. “But as an officer, you must have restraint—use a rubber bullet. Look at the damage this has caused the image of the police.”
Though Owino condemned the shooting, he implied that the young officer who opened fire may have struggled to manage his emotions in the moment.
“Such a young boy… if you abuse him, you know what may happen,” he added.
His remarks came just as Kariuki’s family revealed that he had been declared brain dead, with bullet fragments still lodged in his brain. The shooting, which took place on June 17 along Mondlane Street in Nairobi’s CBD, has fueled national anger and renewed calls for accountability within the police force.
The officers involved—Klinzy Baraza Masinde and Duncan Kiprono—have been interdicted and are under investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
Owino also defended Interior CS Kipchumba Murkomen, who last week instructed police to shoot anyone who approached a station, calling the protests an “attempted coup.” Owino said such remarks often come from frustration and do not amount to official policy.
But Kenyans online slammed Owino’s statements, accusing him of victim-blaming and normalizing police violence. Many pointed out that the protests were largely peaceful and that nothing justified the shooting of an unarmed man.
The public continues to demand justice for Kariuki, who became a symbol of the Gen Z-led movement against state violence and impunity.
