Parents of slain mask hawker Boniface Kariuki who was shot by police during protests two weeks ago, President William Rut has donated KSh 2M to his family. Photo: Courtesy
President William Ruto has donated KSh 1 million to the family of slain mask vendor Boniface Mwangi Kariuki to aid in burial preparations, as the family continues to demand justice for their son.
Kariuki’s family has set July 11 as the burial for their kin at Githunguri village in Kangema in Murang’a County. Sorrow and pain clouded the area as friends an families visited to condole with the family.
Ruto donated the money through Murang’a MP Betty Maina, as the family through its spokesperson Abel Kinyanjui, demanded murder charges be preferred against the two police officers Klinzy Barasa and Duncan Kiprono implicated in the death of Mwangi, who was hawking masks in the Central Business District (CBD), before they mercilessly ended his life.
President William Ruto also donated KSh 2 million to the late X blogger Albert Ojwang’s family, promising to ensure that the family gets justice and further condoling with the family.
Area MP Peter Kihungi, Mary Wamaua of Maragua and Maina, condoled with the family, as they pledged their support to the family to ensure the family gets justice of their kin.
Maina further emphasized the calls that have been made constantly of taking police officers for a refresher course, to avoid the recently increased use of excessive use of force against protesters from the officers.
“Murang’a MPs regret the incident and are working around the clock to ensure Mwangi gets justice,” Maina assured the family as she handed over Ruto’s donations.
Kihungu further lauded the government through the Ministry of Health for waiving Kariuki’s medical bill which has stood at over KSh 800,000 at the time of his death on Monday 30, as confirmed by his family.
“We appreciate that the government waived the hospital bill of Sh800,000, and we are now focused on giving our brother a decent sendoff,” said Kihungi.
Kariuki was mourned by his neighbours as a supportive son, who had the dreams of taking his family out of poverty and building a house for them, dreams cut shot by a bullet from an officer who shot him while he was unarmed.
Religious leaders condoling with the family urged the government to try and purge their differences with the young generation, to avoid recently witnessed unnecessary bloodshed in the country, as well as restoring the bitter relationship between the police and the youths.
