On June 17, 2025, Nairobi’s Central Business District turned chaotic during protests over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody. Boniface Kariuki, a 22-year-old hawker selling face masks, was shot in the head, sparking outrage.
Two General Service Unit (GSU) officers, Police Constables Klinzy Barasa Masinde (Service No. 119413) and Duncan Kiprono (Service No. 117193), were arrested and interdicted.
Barasa, stationed at Kayole Police Station and a five-year GSU veteran trained in crowd control and counter-terrorism, is the primary suspect.
Barasa, active on social media with over 1,000 Instagram followers, often posts in his blue GSU uniform, including a recent photo captioned, “I can’t fix stupid, but I can cuff it.”
Kenyans identified him via viral footage, despite his balaclava, by matching a Jamaican wristband and Kenyan brace in his TikTok and Facebook profiles (@batarizahke and Climzy Bantarizah, phone: 0705 851 958).
His accounts were flooded with angry comments, some unprintable, condemning his alleged actions. His marital status is unclear, but 2021 photos show him with women, one taking a selfie while he was on a call.
The protests, initially peaceful, erupted when armed “goons” and police clashed with demonstrators. Kariuki, caught outside Imenti House, collapsed after Barasa allegedly fired a Stoeger P3000 pump-action shotgun.
Barasa’s lawyer, Felix Kiprono Keaton, denied his client fired the shot, claiming mistaken identity and questioning the DCI’s reliance on possibly AI-generated images. Keaton demanded the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) take over the investigation.
Kariuki, now critical but stable at Kenyatta National Hospital, underwent a two-hour surgery to remove a projectile. The incident, captured on video, drew condemnation from celebrities, activists like Boniface Mwangi, and citizens, amplifying calls for police reform.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) alleged police collusion with criminals, intensifying public distrust.
Barasa and Kiprono, detained at Capitol Hill Police Station, await arraignment as the DCI’s Homicide Unit investigates.
The National Police Service expressed regret, but skepticism persists amid Kenya’s history of police impunity. Kariuki’s survival and the officers’ fate fuel demands for justice and accountability.
The Stoeger P3000
The Stoeger P3000, a 12-gauge pump-action shotgun by Stoeger Industries (Turkey), is a rugged, budget-friendly firearm for hunting and tactical use.
With a 4+1 capacity, 28-inch barrel, and synthetic stock, it’s lighter (around 6.9 lbs) than the Remington 870, a GSU staple. It fires 2¾-inch or 3-inch shells, including buckshot (multiple pellets) or slugs (single projectile).
In crowd control, it’s loaded with rubber pellets or beanbag rounds, but its multi-pellet spread—up to nine 00 buckshot pellets per shot—maximizes impact, raising concerns about excessive force.
Its short-stroke pump and lack of serial markings on pellets complicate forensic tracing, as noted on X, making it controversial for police use.
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