Funeral held for Kenyan blogger whose death in police custody sparked violent protests

One month after his death in police custody, Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang was as soon as laid to leisure on Friday in his dwelling town of Homa Bay. 

Hundreds of oldsters changed into out to pay their respects to the 31-year-outmoded journalist whose death sparked violent protests after an put up-mortem document discredited police claims that he died from self-inflicted wounds. 

Ojwang’s death at Nairobi’s Central Police Space reignited long standing public madden about police brutality across the nation.  

Two police officers were arrested in connection with the incident and the Kenyan parliament held televised hearings concerning the ongoing investigation.

“We’re no longer going to leisure,” Anna Ngumi, a chum of Ojwang’s, informed mourners on the funeral. “We’re no longer going to leisure till justice is finished. Undergo in mind we’re silent celebrating 7/7 (seventh of July jabber day) right here, we can attain 7/7 for Albert Ojwang.”

Police impunity

In Nairobi remaining month, during protests against Ojwang’s death, 22-year-outmoded toll road vendor Boniface Kariuki was as soon as shot by police at shut vary. Babu Owino, a Kenyan Member of Parliament who also spoke on the funeral, called for an finish to police impunity. 

“Police are supposed to protect life and property but police are the ones taking lives of Kenyans. We condemn this act vehemently and we are saying that any police officer who was involved in killing Albert Ojwang must be arrested, taken to court and jailed for life.”

President William Ruto vowed to finish police brutality and extrajudicial deaths when he took plot of business in 2022. But police watchdogs articulate on the least 20 folk gain died in custody in the remaining four months alone, whereas 160 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances had been reported remaining year.