Homa Bay Town Member of Parliament, Hon. George Peter Kaluma, has sharply criticised what he terms as “hypocrisy and ethnic double standards” in the aftermath of the police shooting of Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, a face mask vendor in Nairobi’s Central Business District.
In a strongly worded statement shared on his X account ( formerly twitter) on June 20, Kaluma expressed frustration at what he sees as a selective approach to justice and civic outrage depending on the ethnic identity of the victims.
He pointedly questioned why prominent leaders from the Mount Kenya region and media personalities had not condemned the police action with the same energy exhibited when a similar incident involved a victim from another part of the country.
“I have not seen Uhuru Kenyatta, Rigathi Gachagua, Martha Karua, Jeremiah Kioni, Jimi Wanjigi, Cate Waruguru, Gathoni Wamuchomba, Ndindi Nyoro, Kikuyu vernacular Radio & TV stations commentators and tribal bloggers asking Kikuyus in government – 7 CSs, 16 PSs, Ambassadors, High Commissioners, Consulars, Parastatal Chiefs & Chairpersons of Boards to resign from the government because Boniface Mwangi Kariuki, a face mask vendor, was shot by the killer police,” Kaluma noted.
Drawing comparisons to the public outcry following the death of teacher Albert Ojwang’ in police custody, Kaluma lamented the silence from the same voices who, according to him, pushed for the resignation of Luo officials and withdrawal of ODM members from government positions over the incident.
“They even lied it was Collins Omondi from Suba who had been shot and pretended to loudly mourn him before it was confirmed it was Kariuki,” he added, describing the public reaction as performative and manipulative.
Kaluma further decried the lack of protests or solidarity actions from the Kikuyu community following the shooting of Boniface Mwangi.
“I have not heard or seen any single Kikuyu talk of, plan or organise demonstrations in Kiambu, Nyeri, Murang’a, Kirinyaga, Nyandarua or any part of Mt. Kenya/Kikuyu-dominated areas chanting ‘Ruto must go’ because Boniface Mwangi Kariuki was shot by the police,” he said.
He emphasised the glaring silence from Kikuyu leaders and citizens alike, remarking that “none of the six million plus Kikuyus is asking for justice for Boniface Mwangi on social media or in the streets and none is talking about him.
“While expressing relief that Boniface Mwangi survived the shooting, Kaluma cautioned that the ethnic-based moral inconsistency he is witnessing is deeply harmful to national unity and democratic accountability.
“We thank God Boniface is alive and pray he recovers,” he said, before concluding, “Hypocrisy, pretense, double standards and treachery by this community are more dangerous than any dictatorship in power.”
His remarks come amidst mounting public debate over police brutality and the political reactions it generates, with a growing chorus of voices demanding equality in the pursuit of justice regardless of tribal affiliation.
