Kenya grieves the death of a vendor during protests, with increasing demands for Ruto’s resignation.

Darren Nuwasasira, Africa One News |Politics

Monday, July 14, 2025 at 9:15:00 AM UTC

kenyan shooter

Hundreds gathered for the funeral of Boniface Kariuki, a Kenyan mask vendor shot dead by police, as opposition figures called for the resignation of President William Ruto. They criticized his remarks that seemed to condone violence in the recent protests.

The funeral for the 22-year-old, who was shot at close range by an officer in riot gear during a June 17 protest against police brutality, took place on Friday in his hometown of Kangema, located about 100 km (60 miles) northeast of Nairobi.

Kariuki, who died later in hospital, was selling masks at the rally. He is one of more than 100 people who have been killed across Kenya since last year, as police crack down on waves of protests. The demonstrations were initially sparked by proposed tax rises in 2024, but they reignited last month after the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody.

The shooting of Kariuki was captured on film and shared widely across social media, highlighting police brutality in the country and galvanising anger towards a government many Kenyans see as corrupt and unaccountable.

“We are heartbroken,” said Edwin Kagia, 24, a close friend and fellow vendor of Kariuki. “I had heard of police killing people, but I never imagined it would happen to my brother.”

Reporting from Kakuma in northern Kenya, Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi shared: “The people here are deeply frustrated with the situation in Kenya. There’s widespread impunity. They believe the governance is failing, and police brutality has reached an entirely new level.”

President Faces Growing Pressure

In the wake of the vendor's death, President Ruto faced mounting calls for his resignation, just two days after he urged the police to shoot and "break the legs" of anyone caught looting or damaging property during protests.

Opposition leader Kalonzo Musyoka criticized the president’s directive, calling it “unconstitutional” and demanded that he either “resign or face impeachment.”

Human rights organizations have urged police to exercise restraint, revealing that over 50 people have been killed in two significant protests this year, according to the state-supported Kenya National Commission on Human Rights.

“Kenyans are extremely frustrated... police officers are meant to protect and serve the public, but that’s clearly not happening,” she remarked.

Four police officers are currently facing murder charges over the recent deaths of protesters.

Last month, three officers were charged in connection with the death of blogger Ojwang, after a postmortem report revealed that his injuries were not self-inflicted, as police had claimed.

On Thursday, an officer was charged with the murder of Kariuki, with a plea hearing scheduled for July 28.

At the vendor’s funeral, several mothers who had lost their children in protests since last year were in attendance.

In a separate development, Kenya swore in a new group of senior electoral officials on Friday, just hours after they were approved by President Ruto, following months of legal disputes.

The appointment of a new chairman and six commissioners to the Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) fills crucial roles that had remained vacant for a long time in a country with a history of disputed and often violent elections.

The appointments had been delayed due to legal challenges from activists who questioned the “qualifications, integrity, relevance, and merit” of the candidates. However, the High Court dismissed their case, and the new officials will serve a six-year term.

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