Three Kenyan police officers were formally charged on Monday, June 23, with the murder of 31-year-old blogger Albert Ojwang, whose suspicious death in police custody earlier this month has sparked nationwide protests and reignited debate over police brutality and impunity in the country. The accused officers — Samson Kiprotich, Talaam James Mukhwana, and Peter Kimani — appeared before the Milimani High Court in Nairobi alongside three civilians also facing related charges. The state alleges the group was involved in the illegal detention, assault, and eventual death of Ojwang, who was arrested on June 6 for allegedly defaming Kenya’s Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat, in a social media post.
Lagat, who is said to have filed the complaint leading to Ojwang’s arrest, temporarily stepped aside last week amid public pressure and ongoing investigations. He maintains that he played no role in the blogger’s death.
Following Ojwang’s arrest, he was transported over 400 kilometers from his home in Kisumu County to the Central Police Station in Nairobi, where he died two days later. Authorities initially claimed he had “hit his head against a cell wall” in an attempted escape. However, a post-mortem report commissioned by human rights lawyers revealed that Ojwang had suffered blunt force trauma, neck compression, and multiple bruises, strongly suggesting he was tortured. The disturbing findings have intensified public anger, particularly among young Kenyans and civil society groups, who accuse police of operating with little oversight or accountability.
Tensions escalated further last week when a street vendor, Boniface Kariuki, was critically injured by police gunfire during a protest in Nairobi’s Central Business District. Eyewitnesses said the 29-year-old was selling face masks when he was shot at close range, despite posing no threat. He is currently undergoing treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital. The incident has added momentum to a growing protest movement, with grassroots organizers calling for a nationwide shutdown on Wednesday, June 26, to demand justice for Ojwang, Kariuki, and victims of past police violence. The date also marks the anniversary of the 2023 anti-tax demonstrations, during which over 30 people were killed, many by security forces.
Human rights groups, including Haki Africa, the Kenya Human Rights Commission, and Amnesty Kenya, have all demanded that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) swiftly conclude its investigations and ensure that those responsible for Ojwang’s death — including any senior officers who may have ordered or concealed the abuse — are prosecuted. “Ojwang’s death must not become another statistic,” said Hussein Khalid, executive director of Haki Africa. “We need to dismantle the system of violence that has for too long defined policing in Kenya.”
