Two police officers filmed harassing and shooting a hawker during Tuesday’s anti-government protests in Nairobi have been identified as Masinde Baraza and Duncan Kiprono of Kileleshwa Police Station.

The two officers were captured on camera assaulting 29-year-old Boniface Mwangi Kariuki along Mondlane Street before one of them shot him in the head at close range using an anti-riot shotgun. The unarmed hawker, who was holding a bundle of face masks, was not part of the main protest crowd.

Mwangi is currently undergoing treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital after a surgical procedure. Doctors confirmed he sustained serious head injuries from a rubber bullet.

Following public outrage and intense scrutiny of the viral footage, the National Police Service (NPS) confirmed the officers’ arrest. They are being held at Capitol Hill Police Station pending arraignment.

“Following this incident, the Inspector-General of the National Police Service ordered the immediate arrest and arraignment in court of the involved officer. The said police officer has since been arrested,” said NPS spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga in a statement on Tuesday.

Footage analysed showed one officer initially firing a shot near demonstrators from a distance before sprinting toward the scene alongside his colleague. The duo cornered Mwangi, who was away from the protest crowd, beat him down and then shot him at close range.

Witnesses say the officers fled, leaving the bloodied hawker on the ground. Protesters rushed him to Bliss Medical Center for emergency care before he was transferred to KNH.

Lawyer Felix Kiton, representing the two officers, expressed frustration over lack of access to his clients. “We have not been allowed to speak to them or been informed of the next steps regarding their case. It’s a concerning lack of due process,” he told reporters outside Capitol Hill Police Station.