This article is from the source 'bbc' and was first published or seen on . The next check for changes will be

You can find the current article at its original source at https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cwy3eqpqqnzo

The article has changed 10 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.

Version 5 Version 6
Albert Ojwang's death in detention: Kenya's police chief promises independent investigation Albert Ojwang's death in detention: Kenyan activists protest in Nairobi
(about 3 hours later)
Albert Ojwang has been described in reports as a teacher and a blogger Albert Ojwang has been described in media reports as a teacher and a blogger
Kenyan police officers who were on duty when a man died in custody at a police station have been barred from returning to work pending the outcome of investigations, police Inspector-General Douglas Kanja has said. Dozens of activists have staged a protest outside a mortuary in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, following the death of a 26-year-old man in police custody.
Albert Ojwang was arrested on Friday after Kenya's deputy police chief accused him of tarnishing his name, Mr Kanja confirmed. Albert Omondi Ojwang's death has sparked outrage in Kenya. He was arrested following a complaint by the deputy police chief, who accused him of tarnishing his name on social media.
"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". In an initial statement, police said that Mr Ojwang "sustained head injuries after hitting his head against a cell wall" while in custody.
The director of Amnesty International's Kenya branch told the BBC that Mr Ojwang's death was "very suspicious". However, the Ojwang family's lawyer, Julius Juma, said the body bore signs of severe physical trauma, including swelling on the head, nose, and ears.
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". Mr Juma also cited bruises on Mr Ojwang's shoulders and hands - injuries which, he said, were inconsistent with a single impact against a wall.
Mr Ojwang, described in media reports as a teacher and blogger, was arrested in the western town of Homa Bay and then driven 350km (220 miles) to the capital, Nairobi, his father Meshack Opiyo told journalists. Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an inquiry into his death.
He had been accused of "false publication",with Mr Opiyo telling online news site Citizen Digital that the arresting police officer said "Albert had insulted a senior person on X", the social media platform. Holding placards and chanting "Stop killing us", a crowd protested outside Nairobi City mortuary, where Mr Ojwang's body is being kept.
A police statement said the officers who were on duty at the time - including the head of the police station - were "interdicted" to allow Kenya's independent oversight body to conduct an "impartial investigation". The crowd later marched to Central Police Station where Mr Ojwang was being held at the time of his death.
This meant that the officers could not perform their duties, and would receive half their salaries, pending the outcome of the investigation, police spokesman Michael Muchiri told the BBC. Mr Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay, a town in western Kenya, on Friday, over a post on X that was allegedly critical of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat.
Speaking at a press conference, Mr Kanja said the police would give the investigators all "necessary support" to resolve the case. He was subsequently transferred over 350 km (220 miles) to Nairobi and booked into Central Police Station on Saturday.
He said Mr Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay on Friday, then transferred to Nairobi for questioning and booked at the police station on Saturday. According to Mr Kanja, Mr Ojwang was arrested after Mr Lagat filed a complaint that his name was being "tarnished".
According to the police chief, Mr Ojwang was found unconscious during a routine inspection of the cells, and was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival. "It was on that basis that investigations were actually being carried out," Mr Kanja said at a press conference.
He said the arrest had been prompted by a complaint by deputy police chief Eliud Lagat "about his name being tarnished". Responding to mounting public pressure, Mr Kanja announced that senior officers at Nairobi's Central Police Station had been "interdicted".
"It was on that basis that investigations were actually being carried out," the police chief added. Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri, told the BBC that this means the officers could not perform their duties, and would receive half their salaries, pending the outcome of the investigation by IPOA.
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". Speaking at a press conference, Inspector General Kanja said the police would give the investigators all "necessary support" to resolve the case.
Mr Hassan, who attended the press conference, called on officers not to interfere with the investigations. Mr Ojwang was found unconscious during a routine inspection of the cells and "rushed to hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival", police say.
A post-mortem examination was scheduled to be carried out on Monday. The director of Amnesty International's Kenya branch, Irungu Houghton, told the BBC that Mr Ojwang's death was "very suspicious".
The death of Mr Ojwang, who was reported to have been 31, has sparked outrage online and calls for protests to demand police accountability. Mr Houghton said it was "quite shocking" that Mr Ojwang was not booked in at the local police station after being detained, but was instead taken on a long journey.
Referring to the circumstances of his arrest, Amnesty Kenya director Irungu Houghton said it was "quite shocking" that Mr Ojwang was not booked in at the local police station after being detained, but was instead taken on a long journey.
He called on the independent investigators to secure what he described as "the crime scene" at the police station in Nairobi.He called on the independent investigators to secure what he described as "the crime scene" at the police station in Nairobi.
Ojwang's detention and death comes at a time of rising concern about how some government critics are being treated. Mr Ojwang's death in detention comes at a time of rising concern about how some government critics are being treated.
Last week, software developer Rose Njeri - who created a tool to help people oppose a government finance bill - was charged with violating a cybercrime law. Last week, software developer Rose Njeri, who created a tool to help people oppose a government finance bill, was charged with violating a cybercrime law. She denies the charge.
You may also be interested in:You may also be interested in:
Why Kenya's president has so many nicknamesWhy Kenya's president has so many nicknames
The 'tax collector' president sparking Kenyan angerThe 'tax collector' president sparking Kenyan anger
BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protestersBBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protesters
Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.Go to BBCAfrica.com for more news from the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafricaFollow us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica