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The Ministry of Health has confirmed that it will absorb the Sh815,805 hospital bill for Boniface Kariuki, the 22‑year‑old street vendor who was shot in the head at close range during the June 17 protests in Nairobi.
Kenyatta National Hospital’s management will charge the cost to its Disaster Emergency Fund, ensuring Kariuki’s family bears no financial liability.
Incident and treatment
Boniface Kariuki when he was shot by police during the protests in Nairobi CBD on Tuesday June 17, 2025
Kariuki was injured in the Central Business District, where demonstrators had gathered to protest police brutality and Albert Ojwang's death in police custody.
He was rushed to Kenyatta National Hospital in critical condition and admitted to the Intensive Care Unit.
Medical staff declared him brain‑dead on June 29, and he died at 3.15 pm the following afternoon, on June 30, 2025.
READ ALSO: Outrage as police shoot mask vendor during protests
Official directive
Afya House which hosts the Ministry of Health in Nairobi
In a press statement issued on July 1, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale directed that all medical bills for protest‑related injuries be waived and charged to Kenyatta National Hospital’s Disaster Emergency Fund.
The directive applies to any patient admitted to KNH with injuries sustained during the June 17 and June 25 demonstrations, ensuring that every protest victim treated at the facility receives care without charge.
I have directed the management of Kenyatta National Hospital to waive all medical bills for patients injured during the protests and charge them to the hospital’s Disaster Emergency Fund.
The waiver covers all treatment costs at Kenyatta National Hospital linked to injuries from the June 17 and June 25 demonstrations, including surgical procedures, intensive‑care unit stays, diagnostic tests and follow-up care.
Disaster emergency fund
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KNH
Under the Health Act of 2017, the Ministry of Health operates an Emergency Medical Treatment Fund to respond to large-scale unforeseen medical emergencies.
Some national referral hospitals, such as KNH, also maintain internal emergency response funds.
KNH’s Disaster Emergency Fund has previously supported response to natural disasters and public-health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic.
This use of the fund broadens its scope beyond natural disasters and disease outbreaks to now injuries from civil unrest.
Scope of casualties
File image of police officers handling protests in Nairobi
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the June 25 protests alone resulted in at least 19 fatalities and 531 injuries nationwide, alongside reports of enforced disappearances and other serious violations.
READ ALSO: IPOA reveals number of Kenyans who died in June 25 anniversary demos
How it works
Under the July 1 directive, Kenyatta National Hospital will apply the waiver automatically at billing: finance staff will charge the Disaster Emergency Fund directly, and eligible patients will see a zero balance at discharge or during follow‑up payments.
No claims forms or separate applications are required for protest‑related injuries treated at KNH.
The Ministry has not indicated whether similar processes will be adopted by other hospitals or issued guidance for facilities outside KNH.