Kenyan police officers who were on duty when Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger, died in custody have been barred from returning to work pending the outcome of investigations. Ojwang was arrested on Friday for allegedly tarnishing the name of Deputy Police Chief Eliud Lagat after posting content on social media platform X that was deemed to be “false publication” by authorities.
According to the police statement, while in custody, Ojwang sustained head injuries after hitting his head against a cell wall and was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. However, Amnesty International’s Kenya branch director, Irungu Houghton, described the death as “very suspicious” and called for an urgent, thorough, and independent investigation.
The circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s arrest have raised concerns, with his father, Meshack Opiyo, revealing that he was driven 350km from Homa Bay to Nairobi, instead of being booked at the local police station. Houghton found this particularly shocking and urged the independent investigators to secure the crime scene at the police station in Nairobi. Amnesty International emphasized that Ojwang’s death “raises serious questions that must be urgently, thoroughly, and independently investigated”.
Police Inspector-General Douglas Kanja confirmed the suspension of the officers, including the head of the police station, to allow for an impartial investigation. The Independent Police Oversight Commission (Ipoa) will conduct the investigation, with its head, Ahmed Isaack Hassan, assuring that his team will do everything to ensure justice is served for the family and all Kenyans. Hassan also called on officers not to interfere with the investigations.
The death of Ojwang has sparked online outrage and calls for protests to demand police accountability, coming at a time of rising concern about the treatment of government critics in Kenya. Recently, software developer Rose Njeri was charged with violating a cybercrime law after creating a tool to help people oppose a government finance bill.