Kenya: Arrest after activist dies in police custody

A police officer has been arrested in Kenya following the death of an activist in police custody. The security officer is under investigation, Citizen TV reports, citing authorities. He is believed to be responsible for the death of 31-year-old teacher Albert Ojwang, who died of severe injuries in the capital Nairobi over the weekend.

Police arrested Ojwang, who campaigned against corruption and for freedom of expression, on Saturday in the west of the country and took him to the central police station in Nairobi. He was taken to a hospital overnight into Sunday with head and neck injuries, where he was eventually pronounced dead. According to doctors, the injuries were caused by external forces, Citizen further reports. Ojwang leaves behind a wife and a daughter.

Attempted cover-up by officials?

Police initially stated that Ojwang had inflicted the wounds on himself. However, on Monday, all police officers at the station were suspended. Ojwang allegedly criticized Deputy Police Chief Eliud Lagat in a post on the online platform X, who subsequently filed a defamation complaint. The question now arises as to whether someone gave the order to kill the human rights activist.

Since Monday, activists have been protesting in Nairobi demanding an investigation into the case. President William Ruto , who has consistently defended the police, called the incident "unacceptable." He said there should be no "misconduct and unprofessional behavior." Protests in the capital, Nairobi, turned violent on Thursday. Participants set fire to vehicles. Police used tear gas against the crowd, which expressed solidarity with Ojwang.

Kenya's security services have been accused of extrajudicial killings for years. President Ruto has repeatedly promised to end these practices. However, human rights groups accuse his government of also covering up such crimes by the security forces.

yy/se (afp, epd)