Felix Keaton, a city lawyer who was defending officers Masinde Barasa and Duncan Kiprono involved in the fatal shooting of a mask vendor in Nairobi’s CBD on Tuesday, has stepped down from the high-profile case, citing serious concerns for his personal and family’s safety.
The two officers were caught on video allegedly assaulting Boniface Kariuki, a Nairobi street vendor, in an incident that has triggered widespread outrage across the country.
“In the interest of my personal safety and that of my family, I have taken the painful but necessary decision to cease all legal representation in this matter,” the lawyer said, while disclosing he had received more than 1,000 threatening calls and messages warning him to abandon the case.
The lawyer had earlier dismissed claims that his client fired the rubber bullet that struck Bonface Mwangi Kariuki, a street vendor who was selling face masks during the protests.
“My client is not the one who discharged the rubber bullet,” Keaton told reporters.
“The person currently detained at Capital Hill Police Station is a victim of mistaken identity. He was not the officer who opened fire, and we are yet to establish who actually did.”
