
Klinzy Barasa and Duncan Kiprono with hawker Boniface Kariuki before Barasa pulled the trigger on him. Photo: Y254 Facebook.
Two police constables accused of assaulting and shooting mask vendor Boniface Kariuki will be detained for 15 days by Milimani Law Courts, until investigations into the case is concluded.
The two officers Klinzy Barasa and Duncan Kipronoh, were captured in a viral video assaulting before shooting Kariuki on the head on Tuesday, during protests demanding justice for X blogger Albert Ojwang’, who was killed by police officers at Central Police Station in Nairobi.
Appearing before Magistrate Ben Mark Ekhubi under a miscellaneous application filed by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which sought the suspects to be detained for 21 days, to allow for forensic investigations to be completed.
According to Milimani Courts files, Kariuki was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital by bystanders and underwent emergency surgery. He remains in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in critical condition, as confirmed by Acting Director Dr. William Sigilai.
The National Police Officer in a statement on Wednesday, confirmed the arrest of the two officers at the Nairobi Area Police Headquarters by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), following public outcry on the two officers to held accountable of their barbaric acts.
During the Court proceedings, IPOA requested 21 more days in regard to the nature of their investigation which includes ballistic tests on the recovered firearms from the two officers, analysis of samples from the scene, review of the CCTV footage at Moi Avenue where Kariuki was shot, and interviewing key witnesses, including Kariuki after his condition stabilizes.
“This matter has attracted intense public interest, it is in the interest of justice that the suspects remain in custody until investigations are concluded,” IPOA argued.
The oversight body also argued that due to the nature of the case, releasing the two officers will jeopardize with the witnesses, as well as tampering with the evidence.