The family of Boniface Kariuki, the 22-year-old hawker who succumbed to gunshot injuries after being shot in the head by police during protests, is now appealing to Kenyans for financial support.
The family is seeking assistance to help settle a hospital bill that stood at Sh3.5 million as of Saturday.
Kariuki died on Monday at Kenyatta National Hospital, more than two weeks after he was critically injured during a June 17 protest in Nairobi.
The demonstration was part of a wave of nationwide unrest sparked by the killing of blogger Albert Ojwang.
Speaking to the press outside KNH, family members said they have yet to receive any form of assistance or communication from government officials regarding the rising medical costs.
“On Saturday, the hospital bill was Sh3.5 million. We do not know how much we owe the hospital as of now,” a family representative said.
Jonah Kariuki, Boniface’s father, made an emotional appeal to Kenyans of goodwill, saying the burden of the bill is too heavy for the family to bear alone.
“We are asking Kenyans to help us clear the bill even as we demand justice for Boniface,” he said. “My son is now gone. What I want is justice. I brought him up, hoping he would support me in old age.”
Donations can be sent to the family through M-Pesa Paybill number 7682551, the family said.
Rosemary Njeri, Boniface’s aunt, also appealed for support and solidarity during what she described as the family’s darkest moment.
KNH doctors had declared Boniface brain dead on Sunday, a
day before his passing.
He had been in critical condition since the shooting, which civil rights groups claim was part of a pattern of excessive force by police during public demonstrations.
The young hawker’s death has sparked fresh outrage among human rights groups and opposition leaders, who have renewed calls for an independent investigation into police conduct during the recent protests.
