Kenya Suspends Police Officers Over Death Of Man In Custody

Albert Ojwang

Source: Africa Publicity

Some police officers who were on duty at a police station in Kenya when a 31-year-old man who was detained for “false publication” on social media platform, X died in custody, have been suspended. The deceased had been arrested for allegedly “insulting a senior person” on social media, his father said.

The deceased, Albert Ojwang was arrested for a post on social media platform, X in the western town of Homa Bay. He was then driven 350km (220 miles) to the Kenyan capital, Nairobi, according to his father, Meshack Opiyo.

Mr. Opiyo says the arresting police officer had claimed that his son, “Albert had insulted a senior person on X”.

A statement from Kenya Police says “While in custody, the suspect sustained head injuries after hitting his head against a cell wall.”

The statement says Albert Ojwang was rushed to hospital “where he was pronounced dead on arrival.”

But rights group, Amnesty International’s Kenya branch says Mr. Ojwang’s death was “very suspicious.”

In a statement, Amnesty says the death of Ojwang said to be a teacher and blogger, “raises serious questions that must be urgently, thoroughly, and independently investigated.”

Kenya’s Star newspaper meanwhile, quoted a senior police officer, Stephen Okal, as saying the death of Ojwang was “an attempted suicide.”

A statement from police says the officers were suspended to allow Kenya’s independent oversight body to conduct an “impartial investigation.”

Addressing a press conference, police boss, Douglas Kanja says the police would give the investigators all “necessary support” to resolve the case.

According to him, the late Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay on Friday, June 6, 2025, then transferred to Nairobi for questioning and booked at the police station on Saturday.

Mr. Kanja says 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.

He added that the arrest of Mr. Ojwang was prompted by a complaint by Deputy police chief, Eliud Lagat “about his name being tarnished,” saying “It was on that basis that investigations were actually being carried out.”

Head of Kenya’s Independent Police Oversight Commission, Ahmed Isaack Hassan, promised that his team will do “everything to ensure justice is served for the family and for all Kenyans.

A post-mortem is expected to be carried out today. The Director of Amnesty International in Kenya, Irungu Houghton, says it was “quite shocking” that the late Ojwang was not booked in at the local police station after being detained, but instead he was taken on a long journey to Nairobi.

Mr. Houghton has therefore appealed to the independent investigators to secure what he called “the crime scene” at the police station in Nairobi.