The father of a man shot during latest protests in Kenya calls for police accountability

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Activists and the father of a Kenyan civilian who was shot at close range by police during the latest protests over the alleged killing of a blogger in custody on Wednesday demanded accountability and called for the officer who shot him to be charged.

Boniface Kariuki's father, Jonah Kariuki, told journalists his only son remained under intensive care after he underwent surgery on Tuesday night. He said the shotgun round went through his son's head, just above the ear, but the surgery had been “successful” and “his heart was beating.”

The 22-year-old Kariuki, a hawker like his father, was holding a packet of face masks and is believed to have been caught up in a confrontation with two officers in Nairobi as hundreds of protesters clashed with police. One officer, who had concealed his face with a mask, shot him in the head as he walked away.

Police in a statement expressed concern and said that two officers, Klinzy Barasa and Duncan Kiprono, had been arrested and were being processed by detectives for "further action."

Tuesday's protests in the capital followed tensions over the death of the blogger, Albert Ojwang, who was found dead while in custody at the Central Police Station.

Ojwang was arrested on June 6 in western Kenya for what police called publishing “false information” about a top police official on social media. Police attributed his death to him “hitting his head against the cell wall,” but activists have questioned the cause of death.

Protesters on Tuesday demanded the arrest of police deputy inspector general Eliud Langat, who had filed a defamation complaint against Ojwang.

Langat said Monday he had stepped aside to pave the way for investigations and would cooperate with investigating agencies. Two officers at the Central Police Station were arrested last week.

Kariuki said the officer who shot his son should take “individual responsibility” for his actions.

At the family's home in Murang'a County, in the highlands of central Kenya, neighbors spoke of nervousness about letting their children travel to Nairobi in search of work due to rising cases of police brutality.

The victim's mother, Susan Njeri, told The Associated Press that she last spoke to her son on Sunday, urging him to be safe during the planned protests.

“If they saw him with a stone or a baton, it would make sense to shoot him," she said. "But none of this makes sense. It was not a confrontation, he was just hustling.”

A Kenyan politician and activist, Okiya Omtatah, on Wednesday called for the prosecution of the officer and questioned why police were wearing facemasks during an operation.

Tuesday’s protests turned violent and 16 people were taken to the hospital where Mwangi was being treated. The hospital's spokesperson on Wednesday said injuries included gunshot wounds and that seven people were still hospitalized.

The judiciary in a statement on Wednesday said it was committed to “uphold justice” in all cases including those involving alleged police brutality.

The U.K embassy in Kenya in a statement on X social media urged for “a swift, independent & transparent investigation into the actions of the police.”

Amnesty International's Kenya office accused police of not arresting criminals who infiltrated the protests. Police on Wednesday said they were investigating incidents of robbery believed linked to the protests, and had arrested one suspect and recovered four laptops from a shop that was broken into.

Kenya has a history of police brutality, and President William Ruto previously vowed to end it, along with extrajudicial killings.

Last year, several activists and protesters were abducted and killed by Kenyan police during protests against tax hikes. The demonstrations led to calls for Ruto's removal.

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Gangji contributed from Murang'a, Kenya.

ADDS NAME: EDS NOTE: GRAPHIC CONTENT - This photo combination shows the sequence of events leading to a Kenyan police officer shooting vendor Boniface Kariuki in the head at close range, Tuesday, June 17, 2025, in Nairobi, Kenya. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Susan Njeri, 44 years old, whose son Boniface Kariuki was shot at close range by a Kenyan police officer during a protest, walks out of her house in Muranga, Kenya, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Susan Njeri, 44 years old, whose son Boniface Kariuki was shot at close range by a Kenyan police officer during a protest, holds his picture in Muranga, Kenya, Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

ADDS NAME: Kenyan police speak to vendor Boniface Kariuki before one of the policemen, left, shot him during a protest in Nairobi, Tuesday, June 17, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Jonah Kariuki, 50, whose son Boniface Kariuki was shot at close range by a Kenyan police officer during a protest, walks out of Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

Jonah Kariuki, 50, whose son Boniface Kariuki was shot at close range by a Kenyan police officer during a protest, walks out of Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi, Kenya Wednesday, June 18, 2025. (AP Photo/Brian Inganga)

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — Richard “Dick” Codey, a former acting governor of New Jersey and the longest serving legislator in the state's history, died Sunday. He was 79.

Codey’s wife, Mary Jo Codey, confirmed her husband’s death to The Associated Press.

“Gov. Richard J. Codey passed away peacefully this morning at home, surrounded by family, after a brief illness,” Codey's family wrote in a Facebook post on Codey's official page.

"Our family has lost a beloved husband, father and grandfather -- and New Jersey lost a remarkable public servant who touched the lives of all who knew him," the family said.

Known for his feisty, regular-guy persona, Codey was a staunch advocate of mental health awareness and care issues. The Democrat also championed legislation to ban smoking from indoor areas and sought more money for stem cell research.

Codey, the son of a northern New Jersey funeral home owner, entered the state Assembly in 1974 and served there until he was elected to the state Senate in 1982. He served as Senate president from 2002 to 2010.

Codey first served as acting governor for a brief time in 2002, after Christine Todd Whitman’s resignation to join President George W. Bush’s administration. He held the post again for 14 months after Gov. Jim McGreevey resigned in 2004.

At that time, New Jersey law mandated that the Senate president assume the governor’s role if a vacancy occurred, and that person would serve until the next election.

Codey routinely drew strong praise from residents in polls, and he gave serious consideration to seeking the Democratic nomination for governor in 2005. But he ultimately chose not to run when party leaders opted to back wealthy Wall Street executive Jon Corzine, who went on to win the office.

Codey would again become acting governor after Corzine was incapacitated in April 2007 due to serious injuries he suffered in a car accident. He held the post for nearly a month before Corzine resumed his duties.

After leaving the governor’s office, Codey returned to the Senate and also published a memoir that detailed his decades of public service, along with stories about his personal and family life.

“He lived his life with humility, compassion and a deep sense of responsibility to others,” his family wrote. “He made friends as easily with Presidents as he did with strangers in all-night diners.”

Codey and his wife often spoke candidly about her past struggles with postpartum depression, and that led to controversy in early 2005, when a talk radio host jokingly criticized Mary Jo and her mental health on the air.

Codey, who was at the radio station for something else, confronted the host and said he told him that he wished he could “take him outside.” But the host claimed Codey actually threatened to “take him out,” which Codey denied.

His wife told The Associated Press that Codey was willing to support her speaking out about postpartum depression, even if it cost him elected office.

“He was a really, really good guy,” Mary Jo Codey said. “He said, ‘If you want to do it, I don’t care if I get elected again.’”

Jack Brook contributed reporting from New Orleans.

FILE - New Jersey State Sen. and former Democratic Gov. Richard Codey is seen before New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy delivers his State of the State address to a joint session of the Legislature at the statehouse, in Trenton, N.J., Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023. (AP Photo/Matt Rourke, File)