In search for justice and police accountability in Kenya, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has approved murder charges against police officer Klinzy Barasa Masinde. This decision comes in connection with the tragic death of Boniface Kariuki, an unarmed mask vendor fatally shot during the June 17 Nairobi protests, which were themselves ignited by widespread concerns over extrajudicial killings.
The incident, captured on widely circulated video footage, showed officers manhandling Kariuki on Moi Avenue before one shot him at close range, leaving him for dead. Both Barasa and his colleague, Constable Duncan Kiprono, were swiftly interdicted following the public outcry. Boniface Kariuki, who suffered four bullet fragments lodged in his brain, later succumbed to his injuries after being admitted to hospital.
On Wednesday, the DPP formally informed the court that Klinzy Barasa Masinde is slated to face murder charges this Friday before High Court Judge Justice Kimondo. This marks a crucial step in ensuring that officers suspected of using excessive and lethal force are held individually accountable under the law.
Conversely, Constable Duncan Kiprono, who was also involved in the incident, has been set free. The DPP's office stated that no murder charges would be preferred against him, indicating a targeted approach based on the specifics of the evidence gathered.
