Boniface Kariuki, the mask hawker who was shot by police during Nairobi anti-police brutality demonstrations on Tuesday, June 17, has been declared brain dead.
Speaking to the press on Sunday, Kariuki’s family said the Kenyatta National Hospital has informed them their kin’s brain is no longer functioning.
“Boniface is confirmed brain dead. We understand the gravity of that diagnosis. At this point, we are only waiting for the doctors to make the official pronouncement,” said the family spokesperson, Emily Wanjira.Medically, being brain-dead means that the brain has completely stopped functioning and the damage is irreversible.
A brain-dead person cannot breathe without mechanical support, making the individual legally dead, even if their heart continues to beat with the aid of a ventilator.
