PHOTOS: Boniface Kariuki's memorial service conducted without his body, attended by handful

A haunting memorial banner displaying Boniface Kariuki's final moments dominated the entrance of All Saints Cathedral in Nairobi yesterday, as family and friends gathered to honor the young man killed during anti-police brutality protests.

The banner featured the chilling photograph that captured Kariuki's last moment alive, staring directly at the armed police officer who was aiming a rifle at him.

Below the image, bold text read: "Forever in our hearts, Boniface Kariuki ... Rest in Peace."

Kariuki, 26, died from brain damage after spending nearly two weeks on life support.

He was shot in the head at point-blank range by police officers on June 25 while selling face masks in Nairobi's Central Business District during the first anniversary of youth-led anti-Finance Bill protests.

The memorial service took place without Kariuki's body, with only a handful of mourners present including philanthropist and comedian Eric Omondi.

At the pulpit, a framed printout of the same photograph, Kariuki frozen in his final moment, sat on a wooden table draped in white cloth.

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 in remembrance of a young life taken away brutally . .We stood and prayed with the family. May his soul rest in peace.... pic.twitter.com/mo5vg8mDQO

- ERIC OMONDI (@ericomondi_) July 9, 2025

Kariuki's mother, Susan Njeri, recounted their final conversation, revealing she had warned him against joining the protests just one day before he was killed.

"We never knew that would be our last word with you, and that was your goodbye to us," Njeri said in remarks shared by a relative. "I loved you so much as my first son and my heir. Rest in peace, my son."

His siblings described him as "the only hope for us and our parents" who "had a bright future and wished well for all of us."

The unusual memorial service, marked by tension and sorrow, became a platform for renewed calls to end extra-judicial killings.

Speakers eulogized Kariuki as hardworking while demanding accountability for police brutality.

The stark contrast between the sacred cathedral grounds and the brutal reality depicted in the memorial banner forced mourners to confront the harsh truth of a life lost to police violence.

Photos: Courtesy/ Eric Omondi via Instagram