Kenya's Deputy Police Chief Steps Aside as Blogger's Death Investigated
Kenya's deputy police chief stepped aside on Monday as investigations into the death of a blogger while in custody continue. The death of Albert Ojwang, who was accused of defaming Deputy Inspector General Eliud Langat, sparked days of protests in Nairobi. Several demonstrators were injured and property destroyed.
Langat said on Monday that he was stepping aside in view of the ongoing investigations into the death of Ojwang. He failed to acknowledge that he was the complainant. 'I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident,' Langat said in a statement.
Langat's boss, Inspector General Douglas Kanja, previously said that investigations into Ojwang's online activities started after Langat filed an official complaint. Ojwang was arrested on June 6 in western Kenya and driven 400 kilometers (248 miles) to Nairobi for publishing what police said was false information on social media. He was found dead two days later at the Central Police Station, and police attributed his death to hitting his head against the cell wall.
A pathology report refuted the police account. It said the deceased had 'head injury, neck compression and other injuries spread all over the body that are pointing toward assault.' The officer commanding the Central Police Station, Samson Talam, and his colleague James Mukhwana were arrested last week. The detectives leading the investigation requested more time to examine the case.
President William Ruto on Friday said that his government would protect citizens from rogue police officers and called for investigations into Ojwang's death. The blogger's death came almost a year after several activists and protesters were abducted and killed by Kenyan police during finance bill protests. The demonstrations led to calls for the removal of Ruto. Kenya has a history of police brutality. Ruto previously vowed to end brutality and extrajudicial killings.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Al Arabiya
3 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
After a calm night, LA mayor shortens downtown curfew hours imposed after violent protests
After a calm night in downtown Los Angeles, Mayor Karen Bass on Monday slightly trimmed the hours of a curfew imposed last week after days of violent protests and looting that followed President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. Bass' announcement that the nightly curfew would be narrowed – it will start at 10 p.m. Monday rather than at 8 p.m. and extend until 6 a.m. Tuesday – followed the disclosure that there were no arrests by police in the area on Sunday. The mayor's office said the slightly trimmed curfew time 'reflects a marked reduction in violence, vandalism and looting in downtown that followed the protests.' When the curfew was imposed on June 10, officials said it was necessary to stop vandalism and theft by agitators looking to cause trouble. At the time, Bass said the city 'reached a tipping point' after 23 businesses were looted. In a statement Monday, Bass said the curfew, coupled with ongoing crime prevention efforts, 'have been largely successful in protecting stores, restaurants, businesses and residential communities from bad actors who do not care about the immigrant community.' Bass has given no indication when the curfew will end. The curfew covers a relatively tiny slice of the sprawling city – a 1-square-mile (2.5 square kilometer) section of downtown that includes the area where protests have occurred. Last week, Trump ordered the deployment of roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to the second-largest US city following protests over his stepped-up enforcement of immigration laws. On Sunday, Trump directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities, a move that comes after large protests erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against his administration's immigration policies.
Al Arabiya
6 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Death toll from an attack by gunmen in north-central Nigeria reaches 150, survivors say
The death toll from an attack by gunmen over the weekend in north-central Nigeria has climbed to 150, survivors said Monday, as villagers were still digging through burned homes, counting their dead and looking for dozens of people still missing. Assailants stormed Benue state's Yelewata community late Friday night, opening fire on villagers who were asleep and setting their homes ablaze, survivors and the local farmers' union said. Many of those killed were sheltering in a local market after fleeing violence in other parts of the state. No one immediately claimed responsibility for the killings, but such attacks are common in Nigeria's northern region, where local herders and farmers often clash over limited access to land and water. The prolonged conflict has become deadlier in recent years, with authorities and analysts warning that more herdsmen are taking up arms. The farmers accuse the herders, mostly of Fulani origin, of grazing their livestock on their farms and destroying their produce. The herders insist that the lands are grazing routes that were first backed by law in 1965, five years after the country gained its independence. Nigeria's President Bola Tinubu, whose government has fallen short of expectations in ending the country's deadly security crises, described the Benue attack as 'senseless bloodletting,' while his office said he would visit the stricken community on Wednesday. Titus Tsegba, who lost his wife and four of his children in the attack, said more than 20 bodies were recovered on Monday. The initial death toll was reported to be 100 on Saturday. His wife and children –– the youngest 8 and the oldest 27 –– were burned to ashes beyond recognition, he told The Associated Press, adding that he survived because he was sleeping in another part of the community. 'Everything is gone,' he said. Benue Deputy Gov. Sam Ode said he suspected the perpetrators were herdsmen. Ode and the survivors spoke to the AP by phone. The gunmen made it difficult for many to flee after surrounding the Yelewata community, which is about 120 kilometers (75 miles) from the state capital of Makurdi, said Jacob Psokaa, who lost his 55-year-old father in the attack. 'They were coming from different sides at the same moment … it was sporadic shooting,' Psokaa said. 'The situation is very bad now with many people in the ground … your people leaving you suddenly.' The gunmen also burned food stores in the local market, razing a year's harvest that included rice and yam, staple food mainly exported from Benue to other parts of Nigeria. 'Enough is enough!' said Tinubu, the president. 'I have directed the security agencies to act decisively, arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.'
Al Arabiya
13 hours ago
- Al Arabiya
Kenya's Deputy Police Chief Steps Aside as Blogger's Death Investigated
Kenya's deputy police chief stepped aside on Monday as investigations into the death of a blogger while in custody continue. The death of Albert Ojwang, who was accused of defaming Deputy Inspector General Eliud Langat, sparked days of protests in Nairobi. Several demonstrators were injured and property destroyed. Langat said on Monday that he was stepping aside in view of the ongoing investigations into the death of Ojwang. He failed to acknowledge that he was the complainant. 'I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident,' Langat said in a statement. Langat's boss, Inspector General Douglas Kanja, previously said that investigations into Ojwang's online activities started after Langat filed an official complaint. Ojwang was arrested on June 6 in western Kenya and driven 400 kilometers (248 miles) to Nairobi for publishing what police said was false information on social media. He was found dead two days later at the Central Police Station, and police attributed his death to hitting his head against the cell wall. A pathology report refuted the police account. It said the deceased had 'head injury, neck compression and other injuries spread all over the body that are pointing toward assault.' The officer commanding the Central Police Station, Samson Talam, and his colleague James Mukhwana were arrested last week. The detectives leading the investigation requested more time to examine the case. President William Ruto on Friday said that his government would protect citizens from rogue police officers and called for investigations into Ojwang's death. The blogger's death came almost a year after several activists and protesters were abducted and killed by Kenyan police during finance bill protests. The demonstrations led to calls for the removal of Ruto. Kenya has a history of police brutality. Ruto previously vowed to end brutality and extrajudicial killings.
