A senior Kenyan police officer was arrested Friday in connection with the death of blogger Albert Ojwang, whose death in custody last week has triggered nationwide protests and renewed scrutiny of police abuse.
Ojwang, 31, was found dead Sunday in a cell at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, two days after his arrest for allegedly defaming a top police official on social media. Authorities initially claimed he died by suicide, but an independent autopsy indicated he had been assaulted.
The head of the Central Police Station and a technician hired to remove the station’s CCTV system were both arrested, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which is investigating the case. IPOA Commissioner Samati Kemboi said surveillance records had been tampered with and erased early Sunday morning.
Ojwang’s death has sparked outrage across the country. On Thursday, hundreds of protesters took to the streets in Nairobi, setting vehicles on fire and clashing with police, who responded with tear gas. Demonstrators called for the resignation of Deputy Police Chief Eliud Lagat, who had filed a complaint against Ojwang days earlier.
Kenyan police have long faced accusations of extrajudicial killings and disappearances, and Ojwang’s case has reignited public anger over the lack of accountability in the security services.