Boniface Kariuki, a street mask vendor, tragically died on June 30 after being shot in the head by police during protests two weeks prior on June 17 in Nairobi. Kariuki, who was shot at close range, had spent nearly two weeks on a life-support machine at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH) before being declared brain-dead on June 29, with bullet fragments still lodged in his brain. His death, which occurred in the wake of demonstrations against the death in detention of blogger Albert Ojwang, has fueled further public anger over alleged police brutality in Kenya and intensified demands for justice.

A significant point of contention following Kariuki's death emerged regarding his hospital bill. While his family claimed the bill had piled up to over KSh 3.6 million, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale announced a full waiver for all patients injured during the June 17 and June 25 anti-government protests, stating Kariuki's bill stood at KSh 815,805. Duale directed KNH to charge all incurred medical expenses directly to the hospital’s Disaster Emergency Fund, a move that left Kenyans confused by the discrepancy in figures and prompted calls for clarity from KNH and the Ministry of Health.

Kenya has experienced a wave of protests in recent weeks, driven by accusations of police brutality. The June 17 demonstrations, mainly in Nairobi's Central Business District (CBD), commemorated Albert Ojwang and were marked by police crackdowns and reports of looting. The June 25 protests, dubbed