Police Officers in Shooting of Nairobi Hawker, Interdicted as Public Pressure Mounts » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 18—The National Police Service (NPS) has bowed to mounting public pressure and released the identities of two police officers filmed shooting an unarmed mask vendor in Nairobi, an incident that triggered national outrage and renewed calls for police accountability.

Police Headquarters on Wednesday confirmed the officers as Constable Klinzy Barasa Masinde (Service No. 119413) and Constable Duncan Kiprono (Service No. 117193). The two officers have since been interdicted and are under investigation by the Homicide Unit at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Headquarters.

“The two officers have now been interdicted and are currently being processed by the Homicide Team, DCI Headquarters, pending further action,” said NPS Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga.

The victim, 22-year-old Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, remains in stable condition at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) following critical surgery to remove a bullet lodged in his head. He was shot on Tuesday, June 17, during the #JusticeForOjwang protests along Moi Avenue in Nairobi. The graphic incident, captured on video and widely shared on social media, showed the officers assaulting and shooting the unarmed hawker without provocation.

The NPS expressed “deep regret” over the shooting and assured the public of its commitment to justice.

“The National Police Service deeply regrets this unjustified act and commiserates with the victim and his family, while reaffirming its full commitment to ensuring justice is served,” the statement read.

However, the NPS statement was met with criticism from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK). LSK President Faith Odhiambo faulted the police for issuing what she described as an “ambiguous” statement that failed to demonstrate concrete legal action.

“From the statement by the National Police Service, there is no evidence that the officer has been indicted for his heinous crime. The officer had not been named, identified, or his service details disclosed to the public,” said Odhiambo, before Wednesday’s update by the NPS.

She emphasized that the officer must be treated as “the face of impunity and criminality within the police service,” warning that failure to act decisively would erode public trust in law enforcement.

On Tuesday evening, the NPS said the officer had been disarmed and arrested. Human rights organizations, civil society groups, and members of the public have continued to demand a broader investigation into patterns of police violence and impunity.

Leaders and rights advocates are calling for urgent institutional reforms within the police service to prevent further abuses, safeguard civil liberties, and restore public confidence in law enforcement.