Police taking pictures of Boniface Kariuki final month sparks mass grief and anger over state-sanctioned police brutality.
A whole lot of mourners have attended the funeral of a Kenyan masks vendor killed by police, as opposition leaders demanded the resignation of President William Ruto over feedback he made sanctioning the usage of violence in latest protests.
The funeral of 22-year-old Boniface Kariuki, shot at point-blank vary by an officer in riot gear throughout a rally in opposition to police brutality on June 17, occurred Friday in his hometown of Kangema, some 100km (60 miles) northeast of Nairobi.
Kariuki, who died later in hospital, was promoting masks on the rally. He’s considered one of greater than 100 individuals who have been killed throughout Kenya since final 12 months, as police crack down on waves of protests. The demonstrations had been initially sparked by proposed tax rises in 2024, however they reignited final month after the dying of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody.
The taking pictures of Kariuki was captured on movie and shared extensively throughout social media, highlighting police brutality within the nation and galvanising anger in direction of a authorities many Kenyans see as corrupt and unaccountable.
“We’re in sorrow,” mentioned Edwin Kagia, 24, Kariuki’s pal and fellow vendor. “I used to listen to that police kill individuals, however I couldn’t think about it will occur to my brother.”
Reporting from Kakuma in northern Kenya, Al Jazeera’s Catherine Soi mentioned: “Persons are very indignant about what is occurring in Kenya. There’s quite a lot of impunity. They are saying there’s unhealthy governance and police brutality is simply on one other degree.”
President below strain
Amid the grief over the seller’s dying, President Ruto got here below growing strain to step down, two days after he referred to as for police to shoot and “break the legs” of individuals discovered looting or damaging property throughout protests.
Opposition determine Kalonzo Musyoka mentioned the president’s order was “in opposition to the structure” and that he ought to “resign or be impeached”.
Human rights teams have referred to as for restraint amongst police, because it emerged that greater than 50 individuals had been killed in two main demonstrations this 12 months, in accordance with the state-funded Kenya Nationwide Fee on Human Rights.
Al Jazeera’s Soi mentioned there had additionally been a “spate of abductions”.
“Kenyans are fairly indignant … as a result of law enforcement officials are right here to assist Kenyans and to guard Kenyans, however that isn’t taking place,” she mentioned.
4 law enforcement officials are presently dealing with homicide expenses over the latest deaths of protesters.
Three officers had been final month charged with the dying of blogger Ojwang after a postmortem report acknowledged that his accidents weren’t self-inflicted, as alleged by police.
On Thursday, an officer was charged with Kariuki’s homicide. A plea listening to for the officer is ready for July 28.
A number of moms of the younger individuals who have been killed in protests since final 12 months had been current on the vendor’s burial.
In the meantime, Kenya swore in a bunch of prime electoral officers on Friday, hours after their approval by Ruto, following months of authorized wrangling.
The appointment of a brand new chairman and 6 commissioners to the Impartial Electoral and Boundaries Fee fills important positions that had lengthy been left vacant in a rustic with an extended historical past of contentious and infrequently violent elections.
The appointments had been delayed by authorized petitions from activists questioning the “{qualifications}, integrity, relevance and meritocracy of the candidates”, in accordance with the Excessive Courtroom ruling that dismissed their case. The appointees will serve for six years.