Kenyan Officers Suspended After Mysterious Death of Blogger in Police Custody
A wave of public anger has followed the suspension of police officers in Kenya after a man, Albert Ojwang, died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody. Authorities say he was found with severe head injuries and died after being rushed to a hospital in Nairobi.
Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger from Homa Bay, was arrested on Friday following a complaint from Deputy Police Chief Eliud Lagat, who accused him of defamation on social media. Instead of being held locally, Ojwang was taken on a 350-kilometre journey to the capital city, where he was detained overnight.
Police claim Ojwang fatally injured himself by hitting his head against a cell wall in an apparent suicide attempt, a version Amnesty International Kenya called “highly suspicious.” Amnesty and other rights groups are demanding an independent and transparent probe.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed that all officers on duty at the time of the incident — including the station commander — have been interdicted. This suspension bars them from active duty and cuts their salaries in half during the investigation. Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched a formal inquiry.
Ojwang’s father, Meshack Opiyo, revealed that the arresting officer said his son was detained for “insulting a senior person on X (formerly Twitter).” A police spokesman said Ojwang was found unconscious during a routine cell inspection before he was declared dead on arrival at a hospital.
Irungu Houghton, director of Amnesty Kenya, questioned why Ojwang wasn’t processed at a local station in Homa Bay and instead transferred a long distance to Nairobi. He urged investigators to treat the cell as a crime scene to preserve evidence.
The incident comes amid growing scrutiny of the Kenyan government’s treatment of dissenters. Just last week, a developer who built an anti-tax app faced cybercrime charges, further fueling fears of repression.
Ojwang’s death has prompted an outpouring of grief and protest online, with citizens demanding justice and transparency. A post-mortem examination is scheduled, and rights advocates continue to press for accountability in what they see as a deeply troubling case.
