Eric Omondi distributes face masks at Boniface Kariuki’s memorial service
Comedian and activist Eric Omondi on Wednesday, July 9, 2025, led a moving tribute to Boniface Kariuki, the 22-year-old mask vendor who was shot during protests in Nairobi.
The memorial service was held at All Saints Cathedral, where family, friends, and supporters gathered to mourn the young man whose death has come to symbolise police brutality in Kenya.
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At the memorial, Eric Omondi, dressed in black and visibly emotional, handed out black face masks to mourners.
“Albert Ojwang, tulimzika last week, Boniface Kariuki, tunamzika Friday, next Saturday tunazika yule mtoto. Enough is enough. As I finish, if someone help me pass this to everyone? Vaa iyo mask to celebrate our brother. This is what he was selling. Let’s take a moment of silence, ” Omondi expressed.
He then asked everyone to stand and honour Boniface’s memory.
“Tusimame na tuvae mask, let us observe a moment of silence in honour of our brother Boniface Kariuki Mwangi,” he added.
In a post on his Instagram page, Omondi shared videos and reflected on the service.
“Today, we held a requiem mass for our brother Boniface Kariuki at All Saints Cathedral. We observed a minute of silence while wearing black masks to celebrate him. We stood and prayed with the family. May his soul rest in peace,” he wrote.
Boniface was shot in the head by police on June 17, 2025, while selling face masks in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
The incident happened during protests sparked by the death of Albert Ojwang, a young man who died in police custody just days earlier. Boniface had been on life support for nearly two weeks before he passed away. An autopsy confirmed that bullet fragments were lodged in his brain, and his death was declared a murder.
Boniface’s tragic death followed the killing of Albert Omondi Ojwang, who died on June 8, 2025, in police custody after being arrested for defaming a senior police officer. Initial reports claimed Ojwang had taken his own life, but an autopsy later revealed signs of assault, including injuries to the chest and head. His death sparked nationwide protests, demanding justice and an end to police brutality.
It was during one of those protests that Boniface was shot.
