Boniface Kariuki, a mask vendor who was shot by a police officer during protests on June 17, has been declared brain dead.
Speaking to the press at the Kenyatta National Hospital on Sunday, Kariuki’s family revealed that the doctors had disclosed to them that his brainstem is no longer functioning.
For now the family is waiting for the doctors to officially declare him clinically dead.
Boniface Kariuki declared brain dead. Photo: Courtesty.
According to the family’s spokesperson, they had received a call from the hospital at around midnight and they were informed that he was brain-dead.
Kariuki’s father, Jonah Kariuki moreover revealed that although his son’s brain was not functioning anymore, his heart was still beating.
He therefore sought the help of Kenyans to help pay the bills that have accumulated since his son was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).
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.
