Kenyan police officers who were on duty when a man died in police custody have been stopped from returning to work before investigations into the matter, police Inspector-General Douglas Kanja said.
Albert Ojwang was arrested on Friday after Kenya’s deputy police chief accused him of bringing shame to his name, Mr Kanja confirmed.
“While in custody, the suspect sustained head injuries after hitting his head against a cell wall,” a police statement said. He was rushed to hospital “where he was pronounced dead on arrival”.
Amnesty International Labels Death ‘Suspicious’
The director of Amnesty International’s Kenya branch told that Mr Ojwang’s death was “very suspicious”.
Amnesty said in a statement that it “raises serious questions that must be urgently, thoroughly, and independently investigated”.
Senior police officer Stephen Okal is quoted by the Star newspaper as saying what happened in the cell was “an attempted suicide”.
Details of Ojwang’s Arrest and Charges Emerge
Mr Ojwang, who was also reported by media to be a teacher and blogger, was apprehended in the western town of Homa Bay before he was transported 350km (220 miles) to the capital city of Nairobi, his dad Meshack Opiyo reported to media.
He had been charged with “false publication”, with Mr Opiyo reporting to online news website Citizen Digital that the arresting police officer explained to him that “Albert had insulted a senior person on X”, the social media site.
Officers Interdicted as Investigation Begins
A police release stated that the officers on duty including the police station chief had been “interdicted.” Kenya’s independent watchdog agency will now carry out an “objective investigation.”
Police spokesman Michael Muchiri told that the interdicted officers cannot perform their duties. They will receive only half of their salary until the investigation concludes.
At a news conference, Mr. Kanja announced that the police will provide investigators with all the “necessary assistance” to complete the case.
He said that officers detained Mr. Ojwang in Homa Bay on Friday. They later transported him to Nairobi for interrogation and registered him at the police station on Saturday.
The police chief added that officers found Mr. Ojwang lying unconscious during a cell inspection. They rushed him to the hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival.
Oversight Commission and Public Call for Justice
The boss of the Independent Police Oversight Commission (Ipoa), Ahmed Isaack Hassan, said his organization would do “everything to ensure justice is served for the family and for all Kenyans”.
“It was on that basis that investigations were actually being carried out,” the police chief added.
The head of the Independent Police Oversight Commission (Ipoa), Ahmed Isaack Hassan, has said his team will do “everything to ensure justice is served for the family and for all Kenyans”.
Mr Hassan, who was at the press conference, urged officers not to intervene with the investigations. A post-mortem was to be conducted on Monday.
Public Outrage and Concerns Over Government Critics
The death of Mr. Ojwang, who was reportedly 31, has provoked outrage on social media. Protesters have called for the police to be held accountable.
Amnesty Kenya director Irungu Houghton described the conditions of Mr. Ojwang’s detention as “quite shocking.” He said police did not book Mr. Ojwang at the Nairobi station where they held him. Instead, they drove him a long distance.
He urged independent investigators to secure what he called “the crime scene” at the Nairobi police station.
Ojwang’s arrest and death have intensified growing concern over the treatment of government critics.
Last week, authorities arraigned computer programmer Rose Njeri. She had built a tool to help individuals oppose a government finance bill. Officials charged her with contravening a cybercrime act.
