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ADVERTThe National Police Service (NPS) on Monday issued a stern deterrent against police officers who might be tempted to misuse their firearms during the countrywide demonstrations scheduled for Wednesday 25 June, 2025.
The demos are set to mark the anniversary of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill demonstrations and commemorate fallen heroes against police brutality.
Speaking on a radio interview NPS Spokesperson Michael Muchiri made it clear that any officer who fires a weapon outside legal boundaries will face individual accountability and legal consequences.
“The police are trained on when and how to use a firearm. What we’ve witnessed in some cases is completely out of order,” Muchiri said, referring to the June 17 shooting of Boniface Kariuki, a mask vendor, in downtown Nairobi.
Muchiri confirmed that the two officers implicated in Kariuki’s shooting have already been taken to court. “This must serve as a warning to others,” he emphasized.
ADVERTHe further reaffirmed that Kenyan law permits police officers to use firearms only in situations involving an immediate threat to life or serious injury.
“When I saw the video of that shooting, I was shocked. That’s not the Kenya Police Service we are building,” Muchiri added.
Kariuki, who sustained severe head injuries from a rubber bullet remains hospitalized at Kenyatta National Hospital with doctors saying his chances of complete recovery are nonexistent. A hospital report revealed that 16 other protest-related victims have also been treated for gunshot wounds and blunt force injuries.
Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan also shocked the nation in a media briefing that 20 deaths have occurred countrywide at the hands of police officers in the last fourteen days.
Hassan regretted appearing at an earlier press briefing with the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja saying it tarnished the image of IPOA which is committed to responsible policing.
Nairobi Regional Police Commander George Seda also confirmed that security teams will be deployed across key locations to maintain law and order and safeguard both demonstrators and non-protesters throughout the day.
Meanwhile, sources close to State House have revealed that President Dr William Samoei Ruto is observing the planned Wednesday demonstrations keenly.
The source revealed that the president could make a reshuffle of the cabinet targeting the ODM Party experts who have apparently failed to deliver.
