Latest news with #extrajudicialkillings
Reuters
2 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Man shot by Kenyan police during protests is in intensive care, father says
NAIROBI, June 18 (Reuters) - A man shot at point blank range by a Kenyan police officer during protests in the capital Nairobi against extrajudicial killings by security forces is alive but in intensive care, his father said on Wednesday. Protests broke out in Nairobi and Kenya's second-largest city, Mombasa, on Tuesday over the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody on June 8. A video posted on Kenyan broadcaster Citizen Television's X account on Tuesday showed two policemen repeatedly striking a man - subsequently identified as Boniface Kariuki - on the head before one of them fired at him with a long-barrelled gun as he tried to walk away. Police said late on Tuesday an officer had been arrested in connection with the shooting. On Wednesday, the victim's father Jonah Kariuki said the 22-year-old was in the intensive care unit at the government-funded Kenyatta National Hospital in Nairobi. "He is on machine support," Kariuki said in a video posted on X by The Standard newspaper. "I have seen he has a heartbeat ... I have some hope." A Reuters journalist saw the young man on the ground on Tuesday with a heavily bleeding head wound, his hand clutching a packet of face masks. "He was selling masks, it's not that he is a criminal. I have never heard him steal," Kariuki said. The death of 31-year-old blogger Ojwang stoked anger over long-standing accusations of extrajudicial killings by security forces in the east African country. Police had initially attributed his death to suicide, but apologised after an independent autopsy found that his wounds were the result of assault. President William Ruto, too, said Ojwang had died "at the hands of the police". Human rights groups, the Law Society of Kenya and the judiciary have expressed concern at the increased incidents of alleged police brutality. (This story has been refiled to add the dropped word 'range' in paragraph 1)
Al Jazeera
3 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
One killed in clashes as Kenyans protest death of blogger in police custody
Hundreds of men on motorbikes, armed with whips and clubs, have attacked protesters in downtown Nairobi while they were demonstrating against alleged extrajudicial killings, following the death of a blogger in police custody. One person was killed on Tuesday as the assailants violently attacked and dispersed the demonstrators. A Reuters journalist saw the man's body on the ground with a bleeding head wound. But it was not clear how he had died or who the man was. The swarm of men on motorbikes could be heard shouting 'No protest' in footage shared by local broadcaster NTV. Amnesty International's Kenya chapter condemned the attack, writing on X that the 'use of militia will escalate confrontation, lawlessness and chaos'. The incident came more than a week after the death of Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger. He died just two days after being arrested in the town of Homa Bay in western Kenya for allegedly criticising Eliud Lagat, the country's deputy police chief. A Kenyan police officer has been arrested in connection with Ojwang's death. The protests caused by his death reflect a wider concern about police violence. Rights groups say more than 60 people were killed by security forces last year during demonstrations in June and July against a controversial financial bill that would have increased taxes. Speaking about the clashes on Tuesday, which also saw police fire tear gas at protesters, Ndungi Githuku, of the civil rights group Kongamano La Mapinduzi, said Kenya was turning into 'a lawless country'. 'We see hundreds of paid goons, with whips and weapons, crude weapons, coming to brutalise our people,' he said. One of the demonstrators, Hanifa Adan, who was a leading voice in last year's Gen Z-led protests, told AFP that the men on motorbikes had 'overwhelmed' her and others. 'They cornered us and beat us with whips and the police were just watching them do it,' she said. Demonstrations were also held on Tuesday in Kenya's second-largest city Mombasa, with the crowd holding placards saying 'Stop killing us'. Public anger grew after an autopsy revealed that Ojwang had not fatally injured himself by banging his head against a cell wall, as the Kenyan police had originally claimed. The government's pathologist found that his injuries, which included blunt force trauma, were 'unlikely to be self-inflicted'. Kenyan President William Ruto admitted on Friday that Ojwang had died 'at the hands of the police', calling his death 'heartbreaking and unacceptable'. The country's leader promised to 'protect citizens from rogue police officers'. In the past four months, more than 20 people have died in police custody in Kenya, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). As part of the investigation into Ojwang's death, two senior police officers and a civilian have so far been arrested. Lagat, the deputy police chief, announced on Monday that he was temporarily stepping down from his role.
Reuters
3 days ago
- Politics
- Reuters
Kenyan police fire teargas at protesters after death of blogger in custody
NAIROBI, June 17 (Reuters) - Kenyan police fired teargas at protesters in the capital Nairobi on Tuesday, a Reuters witness said, after the death in custody of a blogger cast a spotlight on alleged extrajudicial killings by security forces. Clashes also broke out in downtown Nairobi as unidentified motorcyclists beat up protesters, dispersing them, the Reuters witness said. Local broadcaster NTV showed video of the bikers shouting "No protests." Amnesty International's Kenya chapter, in a post on X on Tuesday, referred to the presence of dozens of motorbikes, with two hooded passengers "whipping protesters and members of the public." Reuters could not immediately ascertain who the motorcyclists were. Kenya's police spokesperson could not be immediately reached for comment on the clashes. Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger, was declared dead earlier this month just two days after he was arrested, with police initially saying he had committed suicide. Kenya's police chief later apologised after an independent autopsy found Ojwang's wounds pointed to assault as the cause of death. President William Ruto said Ojwang had died "at the hands of the police" which was "heartbreaking and unacceptable." Ojwang was arrested as part of an investigation triggered by a formal complaint by deputy police chief Eliud Lagat, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority watchdog. The demonstrations over Ojwang's death reflect wider public concerns that nothing has changed one year after more than 60 people were killed during protests initially sparked by proposed tax increases. Kenyan broadcaster Citizen TV said demonstrations also erupted in Kenya's second-largest city Mombasa on Tuesday, and showed protesters shouting slogans and holding placards saying "Stop killing us" and "Ruto must stop killing us." Last week, hundreds of people demonstrated in Nairobi over the blogger's death, with vehicles set ablaze and police firing teargas at protesters. It was not certain who had set the vehicles on fire. Lagat, the deputy police chief, said on Monday he had stepped aside temporarily, pending the completion of an investigation into Ojwang's death. Two senior officers and a closed-circuit television (CCTV) technician, who had been called to dismantle the CCTV at the police station, have been arrested in connection with the investigation.
Al Jazeera
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Kenya police officer arrested over blogger's death in custody
A Kenyan police officer has been arrested in connection with the death of Albert Ojwang, a political blogger who died in police custody, in a case that has reignited anger over police abuse and triggered street protests in Nairobi. Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri said on Friday that a constable had been taken into custody, the AFP news agency reported. He did not give further information, referring queries to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which is leading the investigation. There was no immediate comment from the IPOA. Ojwang, 31, was declared dead on Sunday, two days after his arrest in the town of Homa Bay in western Kenya for allegedly criticising the country's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat. The police initially claimed Ojwang fatally injured himself by banging his head against a cell wall, but an autopsy revealed injuries that pathologists said were 'unlikely to be self-inflicted'. The government's own pathologist found signs of blunt force trauma, neck compression and soft tissue injuries, suggesting an assault. Independent pathologist Bernard Midia, who assisted with the post-mortem, also ruled out suicide. Amid growing pressure, President William Ruto on Wednesday said Ojwang had died 'at the hands of the police', reversing earlier official accounts of his death. The incident has added fuel to longstanding allegations of police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Kenya, particularly following last year's antigovernment demonstrations. Rights groups say dozens were unlawfully detained after the protests, with some still unaccounted for. Earlier this week, five officers were suspended to allow for what the police described as a 'transparent' inquiry. On Thursday, protesters flooded the streets of the capital, waving Kenyan flags and chanting 'Lagat must go', demanding the resignation of the senior police official Ojwang had criticised. Ruto on Friday pledged swift action and said that his administration would 'protect citizens from rogue police officers'. While Ruto has repeatedly promised to end enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, human rights groups accuse his government of shielding security agencies from accountability. According to IPOA, 20 people have died in police custody in just the past four months. The death of Ojwang, a vocal online critic, has become a symbol of growing public frustration with unchecked police power. International pressure is mounting, with both the United States and European Union calling for a transparent and independent investigation into Ojwang's death.
Al Jazeera
04-06-2025
- General
- Al Jazeera
Dozens of bodies found in militia-run sites in Libya's Tripoli; UN alarmed
The United Nations has raised grave concerns following the discovery of dozens of bodies in areas of the Libyan capital Tripoli previously controlled by a powerful militia, the Stabilisation Support Apparatus (SSA), whose leader was slain in clashes last month. United Nations rights chief Volker Turk said on Wednesday that his office was 'shocked' by evidence of severe human rights violations at detention sites run by the SSA, a group once led by Abdel-Ghani al-Kikli, who was killed during an eruption of fighting in mid-May in Tripoli. 'Our worst-held fears are being confirmed: dozens of bodies have been discovered at these sites, along with the discovery of suspected instruments of torture and abuse, and potential evidence of extrajudicial killings,' Turk said in a statement. Investigators were informed that 10 charred bodies were found at the SSA's base in Abu Salim, while another 67 corpses were recovered from hospital refrigerators at Abu Salim and Al Khadra facilities. A suspected burial site was also reported at the Tripoli Zoo, which had been under SSA control. The identities of the victims remain unknown. Turk called for the immediate sealing of all affected locations to preserve evidence, demanding international access to ensure accountability. Al-Kikli, among Tripoli's most influential militia commanders, had come into conflict with rival groups before his death. His SSA was officially tied to the Presidential Council under the UN-recognised Government of National Unity (GNU), formed in 2021. His assassination last month triggered fierce fighting across Tripoli, where several were killed and dozens wounded. Schools closed, a citywide curfew was imposed, and the UN Support Mission in Libya urged all parties to halt hostilities and protect civilians. With no unified national force, Tripoli remains at the mercy of competing armed factions, many of which operate with impunity. The UN continues to push for dialogue and a ceasefire mechanism as part of wider efforts to stabilise the country.
