A police officer who suffered injuries after a tear gas canister exploded on him has detailed the events that led to the incident.
Chief Inspector David Karuri lost both hands in Nairobi’s CBD during the June protests against the Finance Bill, 2024.
In a video seen by the Star, Karuri said he is currently responding well to treatment and has undergone counselling to adjust to the new normal.
He said that the accident resulted from a resistance that happened while removing a pin from a canister.
“There was some resistance and a problem when removing the pin. When it finally got off and then I was just about to throw, I just saw darkness. I don’t understand what happened because this is something that I have used and during training. I will just refer to it as an accident. The news was shocking,” he added.
Karuri said that his family and close friends were shocked when they visited him overwhelmingly in the Hospital.
He said that with time, he will adjust and become more independent. Karuri thanked the first responders for helping him access medical attention, adding that he had lost a lot of blood.
He further thanked his wife for standing by him and helping him adjust to the new life.
Karuri was among the officers deployed to contain the protesters when he detonated a teargas canister outside Kencom opposite International Life House.
A second female officer also sustained serious chest injuries after the teargas canister exploded on them.