Constable Klinzy denies killing mask hawker Boniface Kariuki
By Zipporah Ngwatu, July 28, 2025Police Constable Klinzy Masinde Barasa, attached to Kayole Police Station, has denied murdering Boniface Mwangi Kariuki.
Appearing before Justice Kanyi Kimondo on Monday, July 28, 2025, Klinzy pleaded not guilty to the murder of the mask hawker outside Imenti House in Nairobi Central Business District (CBD), during the June 17, 2025, protests.
The Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) proposed a murder charge against the accused, contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.
The defense team requested the court to grant them 14 days to make an application for Klinzy to be released on bail or bond.
However, the prosecutor, Vincent Monda, informed court that they are opposing the application for bond and they have filed an affidavit on the same.
“My lord we are opposing the bond application by the defense team, and we have already filed an affidavit opposing the accused being released on bond,” Prosecutor Monda told the court.
In response, the defense team told the court that they were ready to argue the application for bail opposition.
Direction on bail
Justice Kimondo directed the defense team to file their application for bail within seven days and the family of the victim to respond within seven days.
Meanwhile, the family of the deceased vendor protested outside the court after the plea taking, accusing the presiding judge and the accused of wearing masks during the court proceedings.
They contended that the judge should have ordered the accused to take off the mask so that they could prove that the accused was the person who killed their kin.
“Why did the judge not tell him to take off the mask? We do not even know whether we are dealing with the same person, he should have been ordered to remove the mask for us to confirm,” the relatives protested.
They further raised their complaints on the release of Constable Duncan Kiprono, attached to Kileleshwa Police Station, who was together with Klinzy on the day the mask hawker was shot.
The DPP did not press charges against him, telling the court that they did not find anything they could charge him with in connection with the fatal shooting of the mask hawker.
However, the family states that Constable Kiprono should have been charged with assaulting their kin by slapping him.
The hearing of the bail application will be on August 19, 2025, virtually.