Protests Erupt In Kenya After Death of Blogger in Police Custody
Widespread protests have erupted in Kenya following the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in Homa Bay, Western Kenya, after criticizing Eliud Lagat, the Deputy Inspector General of Police, on social media.
This comes as the William Ruto administration is already facing increased pressure, with declining public support due to similar incidents.
June 2024 saw major protests in Nairobi over the passing of the national finance bill. The #RejectFinanceBill2024 Protests led to the storming of the national parliament and the killing of at least 50 people by police forces.
The police have come under increased pressure over the past year as countless reports of abductions emerged across the country.
The death of the 31-year-old blogger has triggered a new wave of protests, which started this week and escalated on Thursday.
Ojwang had been investigating an alleged corruption and bribery scandal against the Kenyan chief of police.
The police initially claimed that Ojwang died after hitting his head against the cell wall. But a subsequent autopsy investigation revealed that the injuries were not self-inflicted.
Doctor Bernard Midia, one of the five pathologists to examine the late blogger's body, said, 'the cause of death is very clear, head injury, neck compression and other injuries spread all over his body that are pointing towards assault, multiple soft tissue injuries.'
Large crowds of protesters emerged in the streets of Nairobi, where demonstrators blocked roads, set cars alight and tried to march on parliament while lawmakers debated this year's budget.
Many of the protestors were chanting 'no justice, no budget, Lagat must go' while holding copies of daily newspapers which featured details of Ojwang's death .
The protests ramped up on June 12, bringing some businesses to a close in Nairobi and expanding to many cities in the Rift Valley and Western Kenya.
The Kenyan chief of police Douglas Kanja apologized for misleading the parliament and announced the arrest of one of the suspected police officers.
President Ruto has condemned the death and called it 'heartbreaking and unacceptable.' Meanwhile, international observers have called for a transparent investigation.
The incident is the latest development demonstrating growing anger towards the Ruto administration in Kenya.
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