Boniface Kariuki: Hawker shot by police declared brain dead, what this means

The family of Boniface Kariuki who was shot by police at pointblank range has been confirmed brain dead.

In an update issued on Sunday, June 29, 2025, the family shared that although Mwangi's organs are still functioning, his brain is dead.

While relaying the update, family spokesperson Emily Wanjira added that the family is preparing awaiting more updates from the doctors with hopes fading.

The family added that the hawker who was shot by a rogue police officer still has more fragments inside his head which doctors have been unable to remove.

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He was rushed to hospital with serious injuries after surviving the shooting incident.

Doctors at Kenyatta National Hospital performed two surgeries to remove the bullet that was lodged in his head.

He was afterwards admitted at the hospital’s Intensive Care Unit with medical bills piling up.

For one to be declared brain-dead, the person’s brain must have irreversibly stopped functioning.

READ: 6 police officers face murder charges over Albert Ojwang's death

This includes both the cerebrum that is responsible for thinking and the brainstem which is responsible for breathing and reflexes.

Other organs may continue to function with life support before the body shuts down completely in death.

Police officers in the country have been on the spot for brutality, using excess force and misuse of firearms even in situations that do not warrant the use of the same, resulting in deaths and injuries.

Case in point is Kariuki who was unarmed with his hands raised and posed no threat but the rogue police officer still proceeded to shoot him in the head.

He was shot on when Kenyans took to the streets to demand justice for Albert Ojwang’, another victim of police brutality who died in police custody.

Ojwang’ was picked by detectives from his home in Homa Bay and ferried to Nairobi only to be announced dead in controversial circumstances that are the subject of an ongoing investigations.

Police initially claimed that he succumbed to injures sustained when attempting to commit suicide by hitting his head of a wall.

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This narrative was quickly dismissed with an autopsy confirming that he had been tortured and killed.

Six police officers have since been arrested and arraigned in court in relation to the matter.