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Nairobi Protests Gunfire and Scuffles With Police529The police dispersed a crowd of several hundred and fired their guns, live rounds, and tear gas, pushing some demonstrators to the ground and striking others with truncheons, witnesses said.
On Tuesday, a police officer shot an unarmed bystander — who witnesses said was a vendor — in the head at point-blank range in Nairobi, during protests. The man had been in the country’s largest referral hospital with gunshot wounds. The officer was only arrested after public outcry.
At least 10 others were injured during the protest when hundreds of men on motorbikes wielding whips and clubs attacked protesters in the city center. Eyewitnesses said the group shouted “No protest!” while beating demonstrators. Members of civil society criticized the violence, saying Kenya was descending into anarchy.
For more than a year, opposition activists who have led protests in the past said they were outnumbered and the police were standing by while the violence unfolded. In Kenya’s second-largest city, Mombasa, protesters there also protested in the streets, waving signs that read, “Stop killing us.”
Death of Ojwang Prompts National Debate on the Behavior of the Police
Albert Ojwang, 31, a teacher and blogger, was arrested in Homa Bay for making comments critical of Deputy Police Chief Eliud Lagat. He succumbed two days later in the hands of the police. Early police reports had said that he had injured himself by striking his head against a wall — but his wounds, including blunt force trauma, were not self-inflicted, an autopsy concluded.
President William Ruto said Friday that Ojwang died in the hands of the police and termed the incident as a “heartbreak” and “unacceptable.” He promised to protect citizens against 'rogue elements' of the force.
Two senior officers and one civilian have been arrested in connection with the probe so far. The deputy police chief, Lagat, who was implicated in the case, temporarily stepped aside from his post on Monday.
More than 20 people have died in police custody in Kenya in the past four months, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority has said. Rights groups also estimate that more than 60 people were killed during anti-tax protests in the country last year.
