Kenya's deputy police chief steps aside amid uproar over blogger's death
NAIROBI — Kenya's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat has stepped aside pending the outcome of investigations into the death in detention of blogger Albert Ojwang.
Lagat had been under pressure to resign from the opposition and human rights activists as Ojwang was arrested after he filed a complaint, accusing the blogger of defaming him on social media.
Police initially said that Ojwang died of self-inflicted wounds, but were forced to retract the statement after an autopsy found that he was likely to have died from assault wounds.
Lagat denied any wrongdoing, but said in a statement that he was stepping aside in the "good and conscious thought" of his responsibilities as deputy police chief.
"I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident," Lagat said.
"I offer immense condolences to the family of Albert Ojwang for their great loss," he added.Until the investigation is concluded, Lagat will have no access to his office, and his duties will be performed by his deputy.This comes amid intensifying pressure, with more demonstrations planned this week by activists demanding a transparent investigation into the 31-year-old blogger's death.Ojwang was arrested in his village of Kakoth, near the western town of Homa Bay, on 7 June. He was then driven to the main police station in Nairobi, and was reported to have died a few days later.Kenya's President William Ruto spoke with Ojiang's father, Meshack Opiyo, following his son's death, the local Daily Nation news site reports."He [Ruto] said: 'I'm sorry,' and we spoke at length. His words were sincere," Opiyo is quoted as saying.Ruto promised to give the family two million Kenyan shillings ($15,500; £11,4000) to help cover funeral costs, while veteran opposition politician Raila Odinga, who also spoke to the family, pledged half the amount, the newspaper reports.In an initial statement, police said Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and was rushed to a city hospital, where he succumbed to head injuries allegedly sustained from banging his head against the wall.But an autopsy report and an investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), ruled out the possibility that Ojwang might have killed himself.While investigations continue, the head of the police station has been detained, along with another officer and a technician accused of disabling the station's CCTV.Police chief Douglas Kanja has apologized for the initial police claim that the blogger died of self-inflicted wounds, saying it was based on "misinformation" from his juniors.Ruto has called for a swift investigation, and has promised that his government would "protect citizens from rogue police officers".Ruto first pledged to end Kenya's history of police brutality and extrajudicial killings when he came to power in 2022.But nearly 160 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances were reported across Kenya last year, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).At least 20 people have died while in police detention in the past four months alone, according to the IPOA. — BBC
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Saudi Gazette
4 days ago
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Kenya's deputy police chief steps aside amid uproar over blogger's death
NAIROBI — Kenya's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat has stepped aside pending the outcome of investigations into the death in detention of blogger Albert Ojwang. Lagat had been under pressure to resign from the opposition and human rights activists as Ojwang was arrested after he filed a complaint, accusing the blogger of defaming him on social media. Police initially said that Ojwang died of self-inflicted wounds, but were forced to retract the statement after an autopsy found that he was likely to have died from assault wounds. Lagat denied any wrongdoing, but said in a statement that he was stepping aside in the "good and conscious thought" of his responsibilities as deputy police chief. "I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident," Lagat said. "I offer immense condolences to the family of Albert Ojwang for their great loss," he added. Until the investigation is concluded, Lagat will have no access to his office, and his duties will be performed by his deputy. This comes amid intensifying pressure, with more demonstrations planned this week by activists demanding a transparent investigation into the 31-year-old blogger's death. Ojwang was arrested in his village of Kakoth, near the western town of Homa Bay, on 7 June. He was then driven to the main police station in Nairobi, and was reported to have died a few days later. Kenya's President William Ruto spoke with Ojiang's father, Meshack Opiyo, following his son's death, the local Daily Nation news site reports. "He [Ruto] said: 'I'm sorry,' and we spoke at length. His words were sincere," Opiyo is quoted as saying. Ruto promised to give the family two million Kenyan shillings ($15,500; £11,4000) to help cover funeral costs, while veteran opposition politician Raila Odinga, who also spoke to the family, pledged half the amount, the newspaper reports. In an initial statement, police said Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and was rushed to a city hospital, where he succumbed to head injuries allegedly sustained from banging his head against the wall. But an autopsy report and an investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), ruled out the possibility that Ojwang might have killed himself. While investigations continue, the head of the police station has been detained, along with another officer and a technician accused of disabling the station's CCTV. Police chief Douglas Kanja has apologized for the initial police claim that the blogger died of self-inflicted wounds, saying it was based on "misinformation" from his juniors. Ruto has called for a swift investigation, and has promised that his government would "protect citizens from rogue police officers". Ruto first pledged to end Kenya's history of police brutality and extrajudicial killings when he came to power in 2022. But nearly 160 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances were reported across Kenya last year, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC). At least 20 people have died while in police detention in the past four months alone, according to the IPOA. — BBC
Saudi Gazette
4 days ago
- Saudi Gazette
Kenya's deputy police chief steps aside amid uproar over blogger's death
NAIROBI — Kenya's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat has stepped aside pending the outcome of investigations into the death in detention of blogger Albert Ojwang. Lagat had been under pressure to resign from the opposition and human rights activists as Ojwang was arrested after he filed a complaint, accusing the blogger of defaming him on social media. Police initially said that Ojwang died of self-inflicted wounds, but were forced to retract the statement after an autopsy found that he was likely to have died from assault wounds. Lagat denied any wrongdoing, but said in a statement that he was stepping aside in the "good and conscious thought" of his responsibilities as deputy police chief. "I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident," Lagat said. "I offer immense condolences to the family of Albert Ojwang for their great loss," he the investigation is concluded, Lagat will have no access to his office, and his duties will be performed by his comes amid intensifying pressure, with more demonstrations planned this week by activists demanding a transparent investigation into the 31-year-old blogger's was arrested in his village of Kakoth, near the western town of Homa Bay, on 7 June. He was then driven to the main police station in Nairobi, and was reported to have died a few days President William Ruto spoke with Ojiang's father, Meshack Opiyo, following his son's death, the local Daily Nation news site reports."He [Ruto] said: 'I'm sorry,' and we spoke at length. His words were sincere," Opiyo is quoted as promised to give the family two million Kenyan shillings ($15,500; £11,4000) to help cover funeral costs, while veteran opposition politician Raila Odinga, who also spoke to the family, pledged half the amount, the newspaper an initial statement, police said Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and was rushed to a city hospital, where he succumbed to head injuries allegedly sustained from banging his head against the an autopsy report and an investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), ruled out the possibility that Ojwang might have killed investigations continue, the head of the police station has been detained, along with another officer and a technician accused of disabling the station's chief Douglas Kanja has apologized for the initial police claim that the blogger died of self-inflicted wounds, saying it was based on "misinformation" from his has called for a swift investigation, and has promised that his government would "protect citizens from rogue police officers".Ruto first pledged to end Kenya's history of police brutality and extrajudicial killings when he came to power in nearly 160 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances were reported across Kenya last year, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).At least 20 people have died while in police detention in the past four months alone, according to the IPOA. — BBC
Saudi Gazette
19-05-2025
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Kenya's ex-justice minister 'deported' from Tanzania
NAIROBI — Leading Kenyan lawyer and the country's former Justice Minister Martha Karua says she has been deported from Tanzania to prevent her from attending the court case of opposition leader Tundu Lissu. Two colleagues accompanying her were also reportedly detained and deported after flying in from neighboring Kenya. Former Kenyan chief justice Willy Mutunga and other prominent rights activists who later traveled there over Lissu's case said they were stopped and held at the airport. Tanzanian authorities have not yet commented. Lissu, who is the leader of Tanzania's main opposition Chadema party, is appearing in court on Monday after being charged with treason last month. Kenya's top foreign affairs official Korir Sing'oei has "strongly urged" the Tanzanian authorities to release Mutunga and his delegation. Karua is a respected human rights advocate, and a vocal critic of what she calls "democratic backsliding" in East Africa. She has also been representing Ugandan opposition politician Kizza Besigye, who was kidnapped in Kenya last year and taken back to his home country to face treason charges. Like Lissu, he denies the charges, arguing that they are politically motivated. Karua served as Kenya's justice minister from 2005 to 2009, and was the running-mate of former Prime Minister Raila Odinga in his failed presidential bid in elections in 2022. She launched her own opposition party, the People's Liberation Party (PLP), earlier this year. The PLP said that she — along with fellow Kenyan lawyer Gloria Kimani and human rights campaigner Lynn Ngugi — were subjected to "hours of unwarranted interrogation", before being deported. Condemning the incident, Chadema general secretary John Mnyika said: "The solution to hiding the shame of a false treason case is not to detain foreign lawyers, but to drop the case altogether." The Tanzania Human Rights Defenders Coalition said it was shocked by what it called the "arbitrary arrests", as Karua had been allowed into Tanzania to observe proceedings when Lissu appeared in court on 15 April. The former Kenyan chief justice had traveled alongside lawyer Hussein Khalid and Hanifa Adan, a prominent organizer of the youth-led Gen Z protests last year. Khalid posted on X a clip of the three of them at the Dar es Salam airport saying they had been "stopped" and their passports taken. He said their trip was "in solidarity with Tanzanian lawyers and human rights defenders". Ms Adan said: "We've been detained at Julius Nyerere International Airport and we're not being told why. This is utterly ridiculous and petty. It's 3am and it's cold here... We all traveled in solidarity with Lissu who has a mention in court today." Another activist, Boniface Mwangi, said that armed men claiming to be police officers showed up at his hotel room in Dar es Salaam on Sunday night. He said they left and moved to the hotel lobby after he refused to open the door and demanded that they identify themselves. "My bags are packed, and I'm ready to go with those people when the Tanzanian lawyers who are following up on this matter arrive. For now, l will stay put." Human rights groups have been increasingly concerned about a crackdown on the opposition in Tanzania ahead of presidential and parliamentary elections due in October. Lissu cannot seek bail because he has been charged with treason, a crime for which the maximum sentence is death. He survived an assassination attempt in 2017 after being shot 16 times. The opposition leader was arrested in April after he held a rally under under the slogan "No Reforms, No Election". He is demanding sweeping changes, saying Tanzania's current laws do not allow for free and fair elections. The government denies the allegation. Since his arrest, his Chadema party has been barred from contesting the October poll after it refused to to comply with the electoral commission's requirement to sign a code of conduct. The document requires parties and their supporters to "behave well", and to "maintain peace and harmony" during the elections. Chadema sees the code of conduct as a ploy to contain the opposition, and for state repression to continue. The CCM party, which has governed Tanzania since 1977, is expected to retain power following the latest developments. President Samia Suluhu Hassan is expected to be its presidential candidate. She was widely praised for giving Tanzanians greater political freedom when she took office in 2021 following the death of the incumbent, John Magufuli. Her critics say Tanzania is once again seeing the repression that characterized Magufuli's rule. The government denies the allegation. — BBC
