A man shot by anti-riot police during protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District on Tuesday evening has undergone emergency brain surgery at Kenyatta National Hospital.

The man, believed to be a hawker, was admitted in critical condition and immediately attended to by a medical team at the hospital.

Addressing the press on Tuesday evening outside the hospital, Health Director-General Patrick Amoth said the patient arrived at around 4 pm and was quickly assessed and stabilised by the emergency department.

“Evaluation by the neurosurgeons indicated that he required to undergo an emergency neurosurgical procedure, and as we speak, the patient is in theatre with a neurosurgical team,” Amoth said.

Amoth added that an ICU bed had been prepared in advance in anticipation of the patient’s condition after surgery.

“As a precaution, we have prepared an ICU bed because a case of such nature requires ICU support immediately in the post-surgery period,” he said.

He, however, declined to give details about the extent of the man’s injuries, stating he arrived at the facility after the patient had already been taken to theatre.

Amoth said more information would be released once the surgery is completed.

The shooting occurred during a demonstration in the city centre, where protesters were demanding the resignation and arrest of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat.

A short video shared on social media showed two armed officers confronting the victim, who was reportedly hawking masks along Moi Avenue.

In the footage, the officers are seen attacking the man before one of them shoots him at close range. The man, bleeding heavily, was later carried away by concerned civilians.

The incident sparked widespread outrage, with civil society groups and politicians demanding justice and the immediate arrest of the officer.

Later, National Police Service Spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga confirmed that investigations had begun and that the officer involved in the shooting had been arrested.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) said it recorded 22 casualties during protests in Nairobi, Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties on Tuesday

KNCHR said the casualties includied the shooting, by police, of a peaceful civilian who was shot at close range in Nairobi CBD.

“The other injuries range from gunshot wounds, head cuts, whiplashes, blunt trauma, and asthma attacks after inhaling teargas,” the commission said.