The family of Boniface Kariuki, the hawker who was shot in the head by a rogue officer during anti-police brutality protests in Nairobi confirmed that he is brain dead.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, family spokesperson Emily Wanjira said that medics at the Kenyatta National Hospital confirmed that Mwangi’s organs are still functioning but his brain is dead.
“Mwangi is confirmed brain dead. We know what it means. We are just waiting for the doctor to tell us he is no more,” she said.
Kariuki has undergone three surgeries at Kenyatta National Hospital to remove the bullet lodged in his head and has been recuperating at the Intensive Care Unit where he is receiving round-the-clock supervision.
“We were called to come here at midnight. When we got here, they told us that he is now brain dead but there is still a pulse. They cannot turn off the life support machine because of legal issues,” she said.
While calling for financial support from Kenyans of goodwill, Wanjira has also disclosed that the hospital bill is now over Sh3 million.
This comes a few hours after the family said bullet fragments are still lodged in his brain.
For two weeks now, Kariuki, who was hawking masks before he was shot, has been lying in critical condition at Kenyatta National Hospital.
The family saif the hospital bill has already climbed to over Sh3 million
Kariuki, 22, was rushed to the facility on June 17 after being shot along Mondlane Street during a demonstration.
While surgeons who conducted the first head surgery on the patient reported that they had removed the bullet, some fragments of the ammunition lodged in Kariuki’s brain have presented a serious challenge for the medical team.
Wanjira on Friday disclosed that Kariuki had undergone a third surgery, while doctors continued their efforts to save his life in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
“He underwent surgery on Friday. The procedure involved relocating the breathing tubes from the nose to the throat to help him breathe normal oxygen,” said Wanjira.
“Part of it was a procedure known as pegging, which involves creating a pathway for feeding tubes below the abdomen, connecting to the intestines for patients unable to swallow.”
The family added that there are more bullet fragments in his brain that have not yet been extracted.
There was no immediate comment from the police. The police said the matter is in court.
Two police officers who were involved in the drama that was caught on camera are in custody as police investigate the same.
The two, Klinzy Barasa Masinde and Duncan Kiprono were on June 19 detained at Capitol Hill police station for 15 days pending investigations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
