Moment police shoot man in head at point-blank range

Yahoo

11 hours ago

Credit: Social Media/X
Photographs have shown the moment an unarmed Kenyan man was shot in the head at point-blank range during protests against police brutality.
The apparent bystander is seen being confronted by two police officers and then being shot with a shotgun as he walked away, falling to the ground bleeding heavily from his head.
The photographs from Associated Press have heightened anger against William Ruto's government and a culture of violence and impunity among the police.
Protesters, who took to Nairobi's streets demanding accountability for the death in custody of a Kenyan blogger accused of defaming a senior policeman, were also attacked by a mob of masked bikers wielding whips and clubs.
The protest called for the arrest of Eliud Langat, the deputy inspector general of police, who had filed a defamation complaint against Albert Ojwang, before Mr Ojwang was arrested and died in custody.
Mr Langat has not acknowledged that he was the complainant against Mr Ojwang, but his boss, Douglas Kanja, the inspector general, previously said that investigations into Mr Ojwang's online activities started after Mr Langat filed an official complaint.
Earlier this week, Mr Langat stepped aside 'in view of the ongoing investigations' into the death of the blogger.
He said: 'I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident.'
Officials at first claimed that Mr Ojwang died of self-inflicted injuries, but a post-mortem later found severe injuries to his head and body, which appeared to be from an assault.
Mr Ojwang's death has become a lightning rod for public discontent against Mr Ruto's government, a year after more than 60 people were killed during protests initially touched off by proposed tax increases.
The man seen shot in the head during the protest appeared to be a street vendor selling face masks, rather than a protester, witnesses said.
Hospital officials later said he had survived the shooting and was undergoing surgery. An unnamed police officer was arrested after the incident.
The Kenyan authorities were also accused of hiring armed 'goons' to beat and intimidate the protesters as police looked on.
Hooded motorcyclists armed with whips were seen attacking the demonstrators on the streets.
Hanifa Adan, a leading protester, told AFP: 'The goons attacked us. They cornered us and beat us with whips and the police were just watching them do it.'
One man armed with a club told reporters that he had been hired by the Nairobi governor's office and paid around £6. He added that he 'just wanted the money'.
'They told us that we are coming to protect the shops. I didn't know it would turn out like this,' he said.
Mr Ruto came to power in 2022 with a surge of support fuelled by the promise of change and jobs for the young.
But his image as a reformer has been damaged by an ongoing economic malaise and a crackdown on last year's protests, which saw dozens killed and dozens more disappear into police custody and torture.
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