By Ayomide Otitoju
A bystander shot in the head during Tuesday’s violent clashes between protesters and police in Nairobi is on life support, the Kenyatta National Hospital has confirmed.
The unrest erupted as demonstrators marched against police brutality and rising state repression. Tensions escalated when armed motorbike gangs, allegedly aligned with security forces, disrupted the protests, leading to chaotic scenes across the capital.
Among the victims was an unarmed man, reportedly a face mask vendor, who was shot point-blank in the head by a police officer—an incident captured by multiple bystanders and verified by AFP reporters on the scene. The graphic footage has sparked widespread condemnation and calls for renewed protests on Thursday.
William Sigilai, acting head of Kenyatta Hospital, said the victim remains in critical condition.
“He sustained a gunshot wound to the head, resulting in severe brain injury and excessive bleeding. The bullet has been removed, and he is now on mechanical ventilation in the ICU,” Sigilai said in a statement.
The hospital received 16 patients linked to the protests, with injuries ranging from blunt force trauma to gunshot wounds. While nine victims were treated and discharged, seven others required surgery, hospital officials said.
The protests followed public outrage over the custodial death of a schoolteacher earlier this month. Rights groups, including Amnesty International, condemned the security crackdown.
“In this instance, the police completely abdicated their responsibility to protect the public,” Amnesty said in a joint statement with other civil society organizations, calling for accountability and reform within Kenya’s security forces.
