Chilling video captures police officer shooting hawker in close range during protests in Nairobi

A chilling video making rounds on social media has captured the horrifying moment a protester was shot dead at close range during anti-police brutality demonstrations in Nairobi.

The man, reportedly a hawker, was ambushed by two armed and masked police officers and shot outside a building along Moi Avenue.

The daylight execution, witnessed and recorded by multiple journalists, has left the country stunned.

In the now-viral footage, the man, who appeared unarmed and alone, lay in a pool of blood as shocked onlookers screamed in disbelief.

“Wameua! Wameua!",protestors chanted in anguish. A fellow demonstrator was seen holding up a spent cartridge to the cameras, a grim symbol of the growing culture of police impunity.

The officer who fired the fatal shot was masked, making identification difficult. His partner, also covered, fled the scene.

The victim’s identity remains unknown at the time of reporting, but several hawkers who knew him were seen weeping beside his body, devastated by the brutal and unprovoked act.

Enraged and grieving, protestors lifted the body and carried it through the streets, demanding justice. Their anger was palpable, a spontaneous march of mourning and fury, driven by yet another life lost to unchecked police violence.

The shooting has sparked nationwide outrage online. Netizens condemned the act and demanded immediate accountability.

One user on X (formerly Twitter) posted, “This is a Kenyan police officer shooting a civilian at point-blank range. This is a crime against humanity. We need a total shutdown. #FufuaICC.” Another wrote, “How long must we cry? How long must we bleed before someone stops these rogue officers?”

The irony is chilling. The protest was sparked by the recent death of 31-year-old blogger Albert Ojwang’, who died in police custody on June 8. The demonstrations began the following day near the Central Police Station, where Ojwang’ had last been seen alive.

This is not an isolated incident. In 2024, numerous Kenyans were killed or arrested during the anti-finance bill protests. A BBC documentary, “Blood Parliament,” exposed systemic police violence, but no arrests followed.