"He insulted the police": former police spokesperson Charles Owino claims following hawker Boniface Kariuki's shooting.

Former police spokesperson Charles Owino has ignited public anger after appearing to justify the police shooting of 19-year-old hawker Boniface Kariuki, who was pronounced dead yesterday, after being declared brain dead following two surgeries at Kenyatta National Hospital.

Kariuki was shot on June 17,2025, during protests.

Speaking in an interview on Citizen TV, Owino claimed Kariuki had insulted the officer moments before the shooting, framing the altercation as a “simple exchange gone wrong.”

“If you listen to that clip closely you will hear that boy abusing the policeman,” Owino said. “But you are an officer—you must have restraint”

He admitted the officer failed in conduct, but stopped short of calling the act criminal. Instead, Owino appeared to shift partial blame onto Kariuki, stating, “Such a young boy [officer]… if you abuse him… You know what may happen.”

His remarks have drawn sharp criticism, with many accusing him of excusing excessive force and dehumanising a victim whose only crime appears to have been standing on a city street with his merchandise.

A widely shared video from the incident shows Kariuki surrounded by officers before one aims directly at him and fires. Kariuki collapses as bystanders scream in horror—a scene that has come to symbolise the brutality of recent state responses to the Gen Z-led protests.

Meanwhile, public pressure continues to mount on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Interior Ministry, with demands for criminal accountability, not just internal disciplinary actions, in cases of police shootings.

Owino’s remarks have only poured fuel on a national fire that is already burning with grief, anger, and calls for justice.