Police Fires Tear Gas On Crowds Protesting Blogger’s Death In Kenya

Angry crowds flooded the streets of Nairobi, voicing their outrage over the death of a blogger who had been detained by police a week earlier. This protest comes amid fresh revelations from the police oversight body that 20 people have died in custody over the past four months.

Officers fired tear gas to scatter demonstrators gathered near the Parliament building on Thursday. The protesters were demanding justice for 31-year-old Albert Ojwang, who was arrested in Homa Bay after publishing criticism against Deputy Police Chief Eliud Lagat.

Police originally claimed Ojwang lost his life “after hitting his head against a cell wall.” But pathologist Bernard Midia, who participated in the post-mortem examination, said that the head trauma, neck compression, and tissue damage observed indicated that he died as a result of an assault.

On Wednesday, President William Ruto acknowledged Ojwang’s death “at the hands of the police,” contradicting the initial official version. He described the incident as “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”

Reports indicated that a police constable was taken into custody in connection with Ojwang’s death.

According to an eyewitness account from the protests, Ojwang known for commenting on political and social matters had previously made online posts accusing Lagat of involvement in a “bribery scandal.”

“It’s angered people that he was detained for that, and then days later, dead in a police station,” the reporter noted, adding that demonstrators were insisting Lagat be held responsible and were “persisting in throwing stones at the police in spite of one volley of tear gas after the next being fired at them.”

Ojwang’s case has stirred public concern about long-standing allegations against security forces, including unlawful killings and enforced disappearances.

During a parliamentary briefing on Thursday, Issak Hassan, chair of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, confirmed that “20 deaths in police custody in the last four months” have occurred.

An official inquiry into Ojwang’s death has now begun.

Inspector General Douglas Kanja on Wednesday apologized for the previous claim that Ojwang’s death was self-inflicted, telling senators: “He did not hit his head against the wall.”

His death comes nearly a year after protesters and activists were killed or disappeared during demonstrations over a controversial finance bill — with several individuals still unaccounted for.

Those rallies triggered widespread criticism of President Ruto over the violent handling of dissent.

Amnesty International has called for Ojwang’s death in detention last Saturday to “be urgently, thoroughly and independently investigated.”


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