Di death of Albert Ojwang for di hands of police dey unacceptable
Kenya President Williams Ruto dey mourn di death of one 31-year-old Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang wey die for police custody.
For one statement wey di president personally issue, e say, "di tragic occurrence for di hands of di police dey heart-breaking and unacceptable."
"I strongly condemn di actions and omissions, wey include any negligence or outright criminality wey fit contribute to im untimely death," President Ruto tok.
Di kontri leader call on di National Police Service to fully cooperate wit di Independent Policing Oversight Authority wey dey torchlight di mata, and make dem ensure transparent, and credible investigation into di death of Oga Ojwang.
Im death don spark widespread outrage for Kenya, as rights groups dey demand say make authorities hold police accountable.
Police bin detain Ojwang afta one complaint by di deputy police chief, wey accuse am say e tarnish im name on social media.
However, President Ruto don assure say di truth about wetin really happun to Ojwang go come out soon, and justice go dey served.
E also caution di public against making "premature judgments or drawing conclusions wey fit scata di process and its outcome".
Autopsy report reveal say dem beat and assault Ojwang to death
On Tuesday, 10 June, Post-mortem bin reveal say dem hit di Kenyan blogger wey die for police custody for head and di cause of im death go likely be from beating.
Dis report different from police claims wey say Albert Ojwang "sustain head injuries afta e hit im head against one cell wall".
"Di cause of death dey very clear; head injury, neck compression and oda injuries spread all ova di body and dat dey point towards assault," state pathologist Bernard Midia tok.
Police neva comment on di findings.
Di autopsy, wey five pathologists carry out and dem release agreed report, reveal say Ojwang get severe head injuries and e suffer neck compression and multiple soft tissue trauma.
Dr Midia, wey lead di team of pathologists, tok say Mr Ojwang no hit himself on di wall, as police bin tok for statement on Sunday.
E say if Ojwang bin wunjure imsef, di pattern of injuries for dey different, and dem go see frontal bleeding on im head.
"But di bleeds wey we see on di scalp… for di skin of di head no dey togeda, including on di face, sides of di head and for di back of di head," Dr Midia tok for one press conference.
"Multiple soft tissue injuries also dey wey spread all ova di body, including for di head, neck, upper limbs plus di trunk and lower limbs... these na injuries from attack," e add.
Di injuries dey consistent wit "external assault" and signs of struggle also dey, according to di pathologists.
Timeline of wetin we know happun to Kenya blogger Albert Ojwang
Friday, 6 June - Police arrest Oga Ojwang for Homa Bay, one town for western Kenya, sake of one post e make on X wey allegedly dey critical of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.
Saturday, 7 June - Police transfer am go di capital, Nairobi, wey dey ova 350km (220 miles) from wia dem arrest am and book am for di Central Police Station.
Sunday, 8 June - Policetok say Ojwang "sustain head injuries afta e hit im head against one cell wall" while in custody.
Monday, 9 June - Plenty activists bin stage protest outside one mortuary for Kenya capital, Nairobi. Plenty pipo gada hold placards and dey chant "Stop to dey kill us", di crowd bin protest outside Nairobi City mortuary, wia dem keep Ojwang body.
Di crowd later march go di Central Police Station wia dem hold Ojwang at di time of im death.
Tuesday, 10 June - One autopsy, wey five pathologists conduct and release unanimous report, reveal say Oga Ojwang get severe head injuries and suffer neck compression and multiple soft tissue trauma.
Kenya Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) don launch inquiry into im death.
IPOA don also rule out di possibility say Mr Ojwang kill himself.
Di agency add say dia premilitary findings show say pesin don interfere wit di CCTV systems for di Central Police Station.
How Kenya blogger die for police custody
Police arrest Ojwang for Homa Bay, one town for western Kenya, on Friday, 7 June, sake of one post e put on X wey allegedly criticise di Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat.
Dem later transfer am go Nairobi, wey dey ova over 350 km (220 miles) from wia dem arrest am and book am into Central Police Station on Saturday, 8 June.
According to oga Kanja, dem arrest Mr Ojwang afta oga Lagat file one complain say e dey "tarnish" im name.
"Na on dat basis dem carry out investigations," Kanja tok for one press conference.
For dia response to heavy public pressure, Kanja announce say dem don take actions against senior officers for Nairobi Central Police Station.
Police tok-tok pesin Michael Muchiri, tell BBC say dis one mean say di officers no go fit perform dia duties, and dem go receive half of dia salaries, pending di outcome of di investigation by IPOA.
Speaking at a press conference, Inspector General Kanja tok say di police go give di investigators all "necessary support" to solve di case.
Dem find Ojwang unconscious during one routine inspection of di cells and dem "rush am go hospital, wia dem pronounce am dead on arrival", police tok.
'Help me get justice for my son' - Meshack Ojwang
Oga Ojwang father, Meshack Ojwang, don beg President William Ruto to help am get justice for im son.
"Help me as a taxpayer. Di officers wey pick my son see say our home dey humble and assume say we no matter," di father tok.
Di Digital Content Creators Association of Kenya don pay tribute to Mr Ojwang, dem say: "Albert no be just ordinary content creator - e be di voice of di youth, symbol of resilience, plus pesin wey embody di dreams and hopes of a generation wey dey use digital platforms to inspire change. Im legacy no go dey silenced."
Faith Odhiambo, president of di Law Society of Kenya (LSK), tok say di autopsy report clearly show say dem "torture" and "brutally murder" Ojwang for police custody.
"We go continue to put pressure until dem hold every single officer wey get hand for dis mata personally liable. We no go accept more excuses," Ms Odhiambo tok.
Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga condemn Oga Ojwang "horrifying" death, e say e don add to long list of "young and defenceless Kenyans wey dem take dia lives too soon, in brutal and senseless circumstances, for di hands of di police".
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja earlier suspend plenty officers wey bin dey on duty at di time of Oga Ojwang death.
But human rights groups don demand more action, dem say di death of di blogger na attempt to silence di digital community through intimidation and fear.
Kenya Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) don open investigation into im death
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
6 hours ago
- BBC News
Legal win for son tricked into moving to Africa by parents
A teenager who was tricked into going to boarding school in Africa has won a significant legal victory against his own 14-year-old boy, who cannot be identified, was taken from London to Ghana in March 2024 after being told a relative was ill. In fact, his parents wanted to get him out of London as they feared he was being drawn into criminal and homesick in Ghana, the boy found lawyers and brought a case against his parents to the High Court in London, which ruled against him in February. On Thursday, he won his appeal, so the case will be reheard. The most senior judge in the Family Division, Sir Andrew McFarlane, said there had been confusion in the previous decision."We have become more and more concerned as to the exercise the judge undertook," he added."For those reasons - we are agreed remittal should be allowed."He urged the family to find a solution through constructive dialogue. At the hearing, the boy's barrister, Deirdre Fottrell KC, said he is "desperate" to return to the UK."He is culturally displaced and alienated," she said."He considers himself abandoned by his family. He feels he is a British boy, a London boy."The boy remains in Ghana and has been attending a day school there. His solicitor, James Netto, described the appeal ruling as a "hugely significant" decision that would "resonate across international family law." He said: "We are very pleased indeed that the Court of Appeal has allowed our client's appeal, and has recognised the critical importance of listening to and assessing the voices of young people at the heart of legal proceedings that profoundly affect their lives."The parents' barrister, Rebecca Foulkes, said that staying in Ghana was the "least harmful" option for the boy."The parents found themselves in a wholly invidious decision when they made the decision they made," she said. "Ghana provided a safe haven, separate from those who exposed him to risk."The least harmful option is for him to remain in Ghana."The case centres on the question of parental responsibility, and whether the parents acted unlawfully by sending their son to boarding school without his boy previously told the court that he felt like he was "living in hell". He said he was "mocked" at the school in Ghana and "could also barely understand what was going on".During the previous judgement, High Court judge Mr Justice Hayden said the parents' wish for their son to move to Ghana was "driven by their deep, obvious and unconditional love".He found that the boy, who had lived in the UK since birth, was at risk of suffering greater harm by returning to said that the boy's parents believe "and in my judgement with reason" that their son has "at very least peripheral involvement with gang culture and has exhibited an unhealthy interest in knives".Sir Andrew said the case will now be reheard by a different judge, with the next hearing planned to take place in the next few weeks.A full decision will be given in writing at a later date.
BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
China ready to drop all tariffs on African imports
China say dem don ready to drop di tariffs dem dey charge on imports from all 53 African kontris wey dem get diplomatic relations wit. Di move wey dem announce for one China-Africa co-operation meeting, dey come as di continent dey face di possibility of increased tariffs on dia products wey dey enta US. China na Africa largest trading partner – one position dem don hold for di last 15 years – as Africa dey export goods wey worth around $170bn (£125bn) go di Asian nation for 2023. One joint ministerial statement bin criticise "certain kontris' [effort to] scata di existing international economic and trade order" through di unilateral imposition of tariffs. China ask US to resolve trade disputes on di basis of "equality, respect and mutual benefit". Di zero-tariff move, wen dem implement am, go be extension of one deal dem make last year for China to drop tariffs on goods from 33 African nations wey dey classified as "least developed". Di expanded list go include some of China largest trading partners on di continent, wey include South Africa and Nigeria. China neva tok wen di go come into effect. Eswatini na di only African state dem exclude from di zero-tariff announcement as dem recognise Taiwan as independent kontri, whereas China see am as breakaway province. China currently dey import plenty raw materials from Africa, most especially from di Democratic Republic of Congo and Guinea. For April, President Donald Trump bin raise concern among US trading partners wen e announce high tariffs on dia imports from many kontris, wey include 50% rate for Lesotho, 30% for South Africa and 14% for Nigeria. Di US bin pause di implementation until next month, although di temporary pause fit dey extended further for countries wey dey negotiate "in good faith", according to US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent. For 2024, di US import $39.5bn-worth of goods from Africa. Dem carry out di importation under di zero-tariff deal wey dey known as di Africa Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa), wey now look like say dey under threat if Trump administration go ahead wit di imposition of fresh charges.
Reuters
7 hours ago
- Reuters
China says it will remove all tariffs on African exports to boost trade
NAIROBI, June 12 (Reuters) - China will negotiate and sign a new economic pact with Africa that will get rid of all tariffs on the 53 African states it has diplomatic ties with, it said, a move that could benefit middle-income nations. The Asian economic giant offers duty- and quota-free market access to least developed countries (LDCs), including many in Africa, but the new initiative will level the playing field by also offering middle-income countries similar market access. "China is ready to... welcome quality products from Africa to the Chinese market", China's foreign ministry said after a meeting of senior Chinese officials with African foreign ministers in Changsha to review implementation of commitments made during a summit in Beijing last September. In recognition of the significant disadvantages that businesses from LDCs like Tanzania or Mali could face from their more developed counterparts like South Africa once the market is fully opened, China pledged additional measures to support LDCs, including training and marketing promotion. Beijing's move could help relatively advanced countries, with significant manufacturing bases for value added products, to take advantage of the vast Chinese market, analysts said. "It enables middle-income countries like Kenya, South Africa, Nigeria, Egypt and Morocco... to be able to now enter the Chinese market duty-free," said Hannah Ryder, founder of Development Reimagined, an Africa-focused consultancy. Trade between China and Africa has been growing in recent years, but it has been heavily skewed in favour of China, which had a surplus of $62 billion last year. "Unless we have an equivalent increase of African exports to China, then trade deficits will continue to increase," Ryder said, adding that the initiative announced by Beijing could help to balance trade. During last year's summit in Beijing, China pledged 360 billion yuan ($50 billion) to African economies over three years in credit lines and investments, marking its return to big-ticket funding deals for the continent after a pandemic-related hiatus. ($1 = 7.1747 Chinese yuan renminbi)
