- Survivor says officer who shot Boniface also shot him
- Doctors removed 7 bullets; 1 was still stuck in the spine
- He was shot after questioning police brutality
- Another protester who helped him was also shot
- 19-year-old Joshua Njihia was also killed in the Mwiki protest
- CCTV captured a police officer fleeing after shooting
Samuel Omondi Okoth is lucky to be alive. Speaking from his hospital bed at Kenyatta National Hospital, he painfully recalled being shot eight times by a police officer after questioning the use of force against fellow protester Boniface Mwangi, who had just been shot moments earlier.
“I only asked why they shot Boniface. That’s when he turned and opened fire on me, too,” Samuel said.
Doctors have since removed seven bullets from his body. But one remains stuck near his spine. Removing it, medics say, could be risky.
Same Officer Behind Both Shootings
Samuel says he saw the officer up close, face to face. It was the same man, he insists, who had just fired at Boniface. His only ‘crime’ was speaking up.
“I just wanted to know why they were shooting innocent people,” he added.
The tragedy didn’t stop there. A Good Samaritan who rushed to help Samuel was also shot by the same officer.
More Bloodshed in Mwiki
As police brutality in Kenya faces national attention, another life was lost on June 20 in Mwiki, Nairobi. During protests demanding justice for the rape and murder of 18-year-old Abigael Wina Wanjiku, a 19-year-old protester, Joshua Njihia, was fatally shot by police.
Eyewitnesses say the officer fled on a motorbike after firing the deadly shot.
CCTV from the scene confirmed what many feared—it captured the exact moment the officer fired and escaped. Public outrage quickly followed.
Joshua’s father has appealed directly to President William Ruto, urging him to take swift action against police brutality.
Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo responded sharply to the growing list of deaths linked to police action.
“Senseless loss of life. This impunity must come to an end!” she said.
With more voices demanding accountability, the call for justice is growing louder. But for survivors like Samuel—and grieving families like Joshua’s—the scars remain deep.
