GOVERNMENT CLEARS MEDICAL BILLS FOR BONIFACE KARIUKI AND OTHER VICTIMS OF JUNE 25 PROTESTS

In a major relief for families affected by the recent anti-government protests, the Ministry of Health has announced that the government will clear all medical bills for victims injured during the June 17 and June 25 demonstrations. This includes the bill of Boniface Kariuki, the 22-year-old hawker who was shot at close range during the protests and later succumbed to his injuries.
Health Cabinet Secretary Susan Nakhumicha confirmed that the government will utilize the Kenyatta National Hospital Disaster Emergency Fund to cover the medical costs for all protesters who received treatment at public hospitals.
“The government has taken steps to ensure that no family will bear the burden of medical costs resulting from these unfortunate events,” she said in a statement released Monday evening.
Kariuki’s hospital bill, which had accumulated to KSh 815,805 at the time of his death on Monday June 30, has now been fully waived. The young vendor had been admitted to Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) after being shot on June 17 in Nairobi’s Central Business District. Despite undergoing a lengthy surgery, he remained in critical condition for nearly two weeks before being pronounced dead.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), at least 19 people were killed and over 500 others injured during the recent wave of anti-government protests. Human rights groups and citizens have been demanding accountability over the excessive use of force by police, which led to multiple fatalities and severe injuries.
The Ministry of Health said it is also working closely with KNH and other public health facilities to ensure timely and proper care for victims still undergoing treatment.
The government’s intervention comes amid growing public outrage over police brutality, and offers financial relief to families that were already grappling with trauma and loss. However, civil society groups insist more must be done to investigate the use of lethal force and to provide justice for the victims.
For many, the decision to clear medical bills is seen as a small but necessary step toward healing after weeks of turmoil that left a trail of injuries, grief, and outrage across the country.