‘Ant Gang' smugglers sentenced in Kenya wildlife trafficking case
NewsFeed 'Ant Gang' smugglers sentenced in Kenya wildlife trafficking case
Two Belgian teens caught with 5,000 rare ants in Kenya were sentenced to 12 months in prison or a fine of $7,700. Officials warn the case signals a growing global black market for lesser-known species.
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Al Jazeera
12 hours ago
- Al Jazeera
Kenya police officer arrested over blogger's death in custody
A Kenyan police officer has been arrested in connection with the death of Albert Ojwang, a political blogger who died in police custody, in a case that has reignited anger over police abuse and triggered street protests in Nairobi. Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri said on Friday that a constable had been taken into custody, the AFP news agency reported. He did not give further information, referring queries to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which is leading the investigation. There was no immediate comment from the IPOA. Ojwang, 31, was declared dead on Sunday, two days after his arrest in the town of Homa Bay in western Kenya for allegedly criticising the country's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat. The police initially claimed Ojwang fatally injured himself by banging his head against a cell wall, but an autopsy revealed injuries that pathologists said were 'unlikely to be self-inflicted'. The government's own pathologist found signs of blunt force trauma, neck compression and soft tissue injuries, suggesting an assault. Independent pathologist Bernard Midia, who assisted with the post-mortem, also ruled out suicide. Amid growing pressure, President William Ruto on Wednesday said Ojwang had died 'at the hands of the police', reversing earlier official accounts of his death. The incident has added fuel to longstanding allegations of police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Kenya, particularly following last year's antigovernment demonstrations. Rights groups say dozens were unlawfully detained after the protests, with some still unaccounted for. Earlier this week, five officers were suspended to allow for what the police described as a 'transparent' inquiry. On Thursday, protesters flooded the streets of the capital, waving Kenyan flags and chanting 'Lagat must go', demanding the resignation of the senior police official Ojwang had criticised. Ruto on Friday pledged swift action and said that his administration would 'protect citizens from rogue police officers'. While Ruto has repeatedly promised to end enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, human rights groups accuse his government of shielding security agencies from accountability. According to IPOA, 20 people have died in police custody in just the past four months. The death of Ojwang, a vocal online critic, has become a symbol of growing public frustration with unchecked police power. International pressure is mounting, with both the United States and European Union calling for a transparent and independent investigation into Ojwang's death.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Police fire tear gas on crowds protesting Kenya blogger's death in custody
Protesters took to the streets of Kenya's capital Nairobi to express their fury over the death of a blogger arrested by police last week, as the country's police watchdog reported that 20 people had died in custody over the last four months. Police used tear gas to disperse crowds gathered close to the capital's parliamentary building on Thursday to protest against the death of Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old blogger arrested in the western town of Homa Bay last week for criticising the country's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat. Police had initially said Ojwang died 'after hitting his head against a cell wall', but pathologist Bernard Midia, part of a team that conducted an autopsy, said the wounds – including a head injury, neck compression and soft tissue damage – pointed to assault as the cause of death. On Wednesday, President William Ruto admitted Ojwang had died 'at the hands of the police', reversing earlier official accounts of his death, saying in a statement that it was 'heartbreaking and unacceptable'. Kenyan media outlets reported on Thursday that a police constable had been arrested over Ojwang's death. Reporting from the protests in Nairobi, Al Jazeera's Malcolm Webb said that Ojwang, who wrote about political and social issues, had posted online about Lagat's alleged role in a 'bribery scandal', in which the deputy police chief had already been implicated by a newspaper investigation. 'It's angered people that he was detained for that, and then days later, dead in a police station,' said Webb, who added that people were calling for Lagat to be held to account, and 'persisting in throwing stones at the police in spite of one volley of tear gas after the next being fired at them'. The case has shone a light on the country's security services, who have been accused of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances for years. On Thursday, Independent Policing Oversight Authority chairperson Issak Hassan told lawmakers that there had been '20 deaths in police custody in the last four months'. The authorities are now conducting an official investigation into Ojwang's death. On Wednesday, Inspector General Douglas Kanja apologised for police having previously implied that Ojwang died by suicide, telling a Senate hearing: 'He did not hit his head against the wall.' Ojwang's death comes almost a year after several activists and protesters were killed and taken by police during finance bill protests – many are still missing. The rallies led to calls for the removal of Ruto, who was criticised for the crackdown. Amnesty International said Ojwang's death in custody on Saturday 'must be urgently, thoroughly and independently investigated'.
Al Jazeera
a day ago
- Al Jazeera
Kenyan police fire tear gas at protest over death of blogger in custody
Kenyan police fire tear gas at protest over death of blogger in custody NewsFeed Kenyan police fire tear gas at protest over death of blogger in custody Kenyan police have fired tear gas to disperse crowds protesting over the death in custody of a blogger who accused one of the country's top police officials of corruption.
