Karua to police: How many deaths will it take for you to stop?

Scene of the man shot dead by police during the demos in Nairobi CBD on June 17, 2025./DOUGLAS OKIDDY

People’s Liberation Party leader Martha Karua has strongly condemned the killing of a man by police in Nairobi’s CBD during demonstrations over the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang.

Reacting to a video that seems to show the moment the man was killed, Karua termed the killing as “another extrajudicial execution.”

“How many deaths will it take for you to stop this,” Karua posed to the National Police Service.

Widespread outrage erupted following the fatal shooting of the man during the demonstrations.

The deceased, believed to have been selling face masks near Imenti House along Mondlane Street, was gunned down in broad daylight by a police officer in an incident that has been widely condemned.

A video circulating on social media shows a police officer, part of a contingent stationed along Moi Avenue, sprinting toward a group of protesters.

The officer initially fired shots into the crowd, though no injuries were reported at that point. Moments later, he and a fellow officer confronted the mask vendor.

The footage shows one officer slapping the man, while the other strikes him with the butt of his gun. The first officer then raises his firearm and shoots the man at close range.

Images from the aftermath show the victim lying in a pool of blood, his hands still clutching the packet of masks he had reportedly been selling.

The incident has further fueled public anger, already heightened by the controversial death of Ojwang.

Ojwang died under suspicious circumstances in police custody, and human rights organisations have demanded justice for the family.

The National Police Service has yet to release an official statement regarding the shooting.

Police clashed with protesters in as hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets to demand justice for Ojwang.

The demonstrators have called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat, whom they blame for Ojwang’s death.