During the June 2024 Gen Z protests against the Finance Bill, Police Constable David Karuri Maina, who was attached to the Rapid Deployment Unit of the National Police Service, was deployed in Nairobi’s central business district to disperse demonstrators.
According to reports, he sustained catastrophic injuries while handling a tear-gas launcher when a canister detonated prematurely, severely damaging both hands and forearms and ultimately necessitating the amputation of both limbs.
As an officer injured in the line of duty, Maina became eligible for medical care, service benefits, and compensation under the police insurance scheme. However, reports indicate that the processing of insurance payments has been delayed, allegedly because funds earmarked for police cover had not yet been released by the government.
Claims that he has yet to receive the compensation due to him and is currently facing hardship remain unconfirmed.