Dozens of activists gathered outside a mortuary in Nairobi, Kenya, to protest the death of Albert Omondi Ojwang, a 31-year-old man who died while in police custody. His death has ignited widespread anger and concern about police treatment of detainees in the country.
Ojwang was arrested after a complaint was made by the deputy police chief, Eliud Lagat. He was accused of making damaging comments about Lagat on social media. Following his arrest in Homa Bay, he was transferred over 350 kilometers to Nairobi, where he was booked into the Central Police Station.
Police initially claimed that Ojwang sustained head injuries after colliding with a cell wall. However, his family’s lawyer, Julius Juma, disputed this, stating that Ojwang’s body showed signs of severe trauma, including swelling on his head, nose, and ears. Juma noted that there were also bruises on Ojwang’s shoulders and hands, which suggested more than just a single impact against a wall.
In light of public outrage, Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s death. The police have since suspended several senior officers from the Nairobi Central Police Station, pending the outcome of the inquiry.
During the protest, demonstrators held placards and chanted slogans like "Stop killing us." They marched from the mortuary to the police station where Ojwang had been held, demanding justice and accountability.
Ojwang was found unconscious during a routine check of the cells and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival. The director of Amnesty International’s Kenya branch, Irungu Houghton, expressed concern over the suspicious nature of Ojwang’s death, particularly noting the unusual circumstances of his transfer to Nairobi instead of being booked locally.
This incident comes amid growing worries about the treatment of government critics in Kenya. Just last week, a software developer was charged under a cybercrime law for opposing a government finance bill. The increasing tension reflects a broader concern about civil rights and police conduct in the country.