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Authorities in Kenya announced on Friday that a police officer has been taken into custody regarding a death that occurred while in police detention, in a case that has caused widespread outrage and demonstrations in the capital city.
Albert Ojwang, 31, passed away last weekend while in police custody after being detained for criticising a senior officer on social media. Initially, law enforcement suggested he died by causing his head injuries against a wall, but a government forensic expert later indicated that the injuries were “unlikely to have been self-inflicted.”
This incident has reignited concerns over persistent claims of police violence in the East African country, and demonstrators are demanding the resignation of Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Kipkoech Lagat, the target of Ojwang’s online criticisms.
On Friday, police spokesperson Michael Muchiri confirmed to AFP that a constable had been taken into custody concerning the incident.
However, he did not provide additional information and directed further questions to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the police oversight body.
A representative from IPOA looking into the case did not immediately reply to AFP’s request for remarks. Earlier in the week, Muchiri stated that five officers had been relieved of their duties to facilitate “transparent investigations.”
President William Ruto has called for a swift probe and assured on Friday that the government would “safeguard citizens from corrupt police officers.”
The arrest comes after IPOA reported that 20 individuals had died while in custody over the last four months. Ojwang’s death has intensified existing frustrations concerning a series of abductions that followed large-scale anti-government protests last year.
Human rights organisations assert that numerous individuals were unlawfully detained in the wake of the protests, with many still unaccounted for, while others have been arrested for their criticism of the government and President Ruto.
