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Zawya
14-07-2025
- Business
- Zawya
Digital credit improves Kenyans' financial health despite shortfalls
Digital loans in Kenya have become a symbol of financial distress, often a last resort for borrowers with nowhere else to turn. Few people actively choose to borrow from digital credit providers, and most do so when all other options have failed. Valentine Amondi, a trader in Kenya's lakeside town of Homa Bay, says a Ksh10,000 ($77) loan she took from a digital lender in February left her deeply frustrated. The loan was disbursed Ksh4,000 ($30) short—deducted upfront as interest, equivalent to a 40 percent charge for 30 days. Just days after receiving the funds, she began receiving calls from the lender's agents demanding repayment.'The interest was too high, and they call you a lot even before the maturity period. I wouldn't take the loan again even if it's my last option,' she said. Her experience isn't unique. Many Kenyans describe digital lenders as intrusive and punitive, with some providers even contacting borrowers' personal contacts to demand repayment—a practice now outlawed, yet still reportedly in use. Against this backdrop, it might be hard to imagine that anything good could come from digital loans. But a new academic study titled 'Digital lending and financial well-being: Through the lens of mobile phone data' is challenging this narrative. Published in the Accounting Review journal, the study by four American researchers finds that digital lending has a net positive effect on borrowers' financial wellbeing, particularly for those excluded from formal credit systems and when loans are used for business rather than consumption. Based on anonymised data from digital lender Tala, the researchers analysed outcomes for 5,023 borrowers who were randomly approved after initial rejection, and compared them with 4,352 applicants whose loans were fully declined. All loans were applied for and disbursed via mobile phone. Three months later, borrowers who used the loans for business showed notable improvements in financial health, as measured by M-Pesa balances, mobility, and strength of social networks, which are recognised indicators of economic wellbeing. Those who didn't receive loans showed little to no improvement.'Specifically, we find that their average transaction amounts, average daily balances, mobility and social networks improved significantly,' said Omri Even-Tov, one of the co-authors, during a presentation of the findings in Nairobi last week.'People without a credit score actually benefit more from digital loans, compared to those who already have one.'The study also found that loan size and purpose influenced the outcome. Larger loans used for income-generating activities had the most positive effects, while smaller or consumption-driven loans delivered little benefit. Predatory practicesHowever, Prof Even-Tov cautioned that the findings are based solely on one lender's data and may not be generalisable across the entire digital credit market, noting that some lenders engage in 'predatory' practices that could lead to debt traps and undermine borrower wellbeing.'I understand there's a lot of concern about digital loans. This study shows they do offer real benefits. We've seen this in surveys and anecdotes, but this provides broader, data-driven evidence,' he said. Similar research on M-Shwari in 2021, a Nigerian digital lender in 2022, and Airtel Malawi in 2024 reached comparable conclusions: that digital credit tends to yield positive outcomes for households when used wisely. Annestella Mumbi, General Manager at Tala Kenya, said the study, though focused on one lender, underscores the sector's potential to support economic growth.'It tells a larger story on the impact of digital credit in Kenya. We've heard multiple stories about impact or lack thereof, and we wanted to quantify a lot of the feedback we receive from customers,' she told this writer. Both Mumbi and Prof Even-Tov clarified that Tala's role in the study was limited to sharing anonymised data, with a commitment to publish the results regardless of the outcome. © Copyright 2022 Nation Media Group. All Rights Reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
Al Jazeera
09-07-2025
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Killed ‘by those meant to protect': Kenyans outraged by police violence
Nairobi, Kenya – On June 7, Albert Ojwang was visiting his parents in his home village of Kakoth in Kenya's Homa Bay County. His mother had just served him ugali (maize meal) and sukuma wiki (kale) for lunch when police officers on motorbikes arrived at the family's compound. Before Ojwang could take a first bite, they arrested him, taking him to the local Mawego police station before transporting him 350km (200 miles) to the Central Police Station in the capital, Nairobi. The officers told his parents he had committed an abuse against a senior government official and was being arrested for publishing 'false information' about the man on social media. Ojwang, a blogger and teacher, had no criminal record and was just a month shy of his 31st birthday. But it was a celebration he would not live to see because less than a day later he was dead. Police said he died by suicide after 'hitting his head' against the wall of a cell where he was being held alone. But after an uproar from the public and rights groups and further investigation, the claim did not hold up. Eventually, two police officers were arrested. Still, the public anger that erupted after Ojwang's death did not abate. Kenyans have been on tenterhooks since mass antigovernment protests erupted across the country a year ago – first against tax increases in a finance bill and later for the resignation of President William Ruto. In the time since, police have been accused of human rights abuses, including allegations of government critics and activists being abducted and tortured. Ojwang was seen by many as yet another victim of a system trying to silence those attempting to hold the government to account. And in the month since his death, angry protests have soared; state violence – and deaths – against civilians have continued; and young people seem determined not to give in. 'False and malicious information' Ojwang was the only child of Eucabeth Ojwang and Meshack Opiyo, a retired quarry worker who had endured hard labour for 20 years in Kilifi County to send his son to school. Opiyo left the back-breaking job after Albert Ojwang had secured a job as a teacher, hoping his son would help take care of the family after earning a degree in education. 'I had only one child. There's no daughter. There's no other son after him,' he told Al Jazeera. 'I have suffered … while [working] in a quarry in Timbo for 20 years so that my child could go through school and earn a degree,' he added, saying Ojwang left behind a three-year-old son. Ojwang was a promising teacher at Kituma Boys' Secondary School in the coastal Taita Taveta County, about 700km (435 miles) southeast of his childhood home, his family said. Media reports said he was linked to an account on X that several people used to publish news about Kenya's government and politics. That's what drew the attention of the authorities who came to his father's house that June afternoon. That day, the arresting officers assured Opiyo his son would be safe when they took him into custody. Overnight, the father left for Nairobi – taking his land title deed with him to use as a surety to bail his son out because he had no other money. But the news he received was of his son's death. 'I thought we would come and solve this issue. I even have a title deed here in my pocket that I had armed myself with, so that if there were going to be need for bail, we would talk with a lawyer to bail him,' Opiyo told journalists the Sunday morning after his son's death, having just learned what had happened to him. Despite police claims that Ojwang died from self-inflicted injuries, his family and the public were sceptical. Human rights advocates and social media users alleged foul play and an official cover-up by police. As public pressure mounted on the police to offer clarity, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed that his deputy, Eliud Lagat, was the senior official who had made a 'formal complaint' that led to Ojwang's arrest. 'The complaint alleged that false and malicious information had been published against him [Lagat] in the X – that is, formerly Twitter – social media platform. The post claimed that he was involved in corruption within the National Police Service,' Kanja said before Kenya's Senate and the media on June 11. At first, Kanja repeated to the media that Ojwang had hit his head on the wall, killing himself in the process. But when questioned by lawmakers in the Senate, he admitted that was incorrect. 'Going by the report that we have gotten from IPOA [Independent Policing Oversight Authority], it is not true; he did not hit his head against the wall,' Kanja said. 'I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service because of that information.' A team of five government pathologists also released a report that revealed severe head injuries, neck compression and multiple soft tissue traumas. The cause of Ojwang's death, they determined, was a result of the injuries, not a self-inflicted incident. Meanwhile, Ann Wanjiku, the IPOA vice chairperson, told senators that preliminary findings showed Ojwang was alone in the cell but two witnesses who were in the next cell said they heard loud screams from where Ojwang was held. The IPOA report also suggested there was foul play at the Nairobi Police Station because CCTV cameras had been tampered with on Sunday morning after Ojwang's death. Subsequently, several people were arrested and investigated, including two police officers who have been charged. Police Constable James Mukhwana, an officer arrested and arraigned in court over Ojwang's death, told IPOA investigators that he had acted on orders of his boss. 'It is an order from the boss. You cannot decline an order from your superior. If you refuse, something may happen to you,' he said in a statement to the IPOA. He added that his superior told him: 'I want you to go to the cell and look at those who have been in remand for long. Tell them there is work I want them to do. There is a prisoner being brought in. Take care of him.' Mukhwana pleaded not guilty in court but said he was sorry about the death in his statement, adding: 'Ojwang was not meant to be killed but to be disciplined as per instruction.' Who is 'sanctioning' these killings? Since Ojwang's death, Kenyan rights organisations have condemned what they say is his 'murder', calling the failure by authorities to hold accountable those responsible for police brutality as disrespect for human rights. 'The savage beating to death of Albert Ojwang and the subsequent attempts to cover this up shatter once more the reputation of the leadership of the Kenyan Police Service,' Irungu Houghton, the executive director at Amnesty International Kenya, told Al Jazeera. 'Amnesty International Kenya believes the failure to hold officers and their commanders accountable for two successive years of police brutality has bred the current impunity and disrespect for human rights,' he said. Houghton also called for all those implicated to step aside and allow for investigations to take place. 'To restore public confidence and trust, all officers implicated must be arrested. … Investigations must be fair, thorough and swift. This moment demands no less.' Amnesty has previously called out police abuses, including 'excessive force and violence during protests', and reported abductions of civilians by security forces. Rights groups said more than 90 people have been forcibly disappeared since June 2024. 'Albert Ojwang's killing in a police station comes after persistent repeated police denials that the normal chain of police command is not responsible for the 65 deaths and 90-plus enforced disappearances seen in 2024,' Houghton said. 'Who are the officers abducting and killing those who criticise the state? Who is sanctioning or instructing these officers? Why has the government found it so difficult to trigger deep reforms to protect rather than stifle Kenyans' constitutional freedom of speech and assembly as well as act on public policy opinion?' he asked. Speaking in an interview with Kenya's TV47 on June 24, the National Police Service Spokesperson Michael Muchiri acknowledged police brutality within the service, saying it was wrong. 'We accept and we acknowledge that within our ranks, we've gotten it wrong multiple times,' he said. But he added: 'An act by one of us, and there have been a couple of them many times over, should not in any way be a reflection of the whole organisation.' Al Jazeera reached out to Deputy Inspector General of Police Lagat to comment on the allegations against him, but he did not respond. Shot at protests Many of the Kenyans reportedly targeted by police and other 'state agents' were young, vocal participants in the antigovernment protests that engulfed the capital and other cities last year. After Ojwang's death, the Gen Z protesters once again erupted in anger. On June 17, they staged a demonstration in Nairobi to demand justice for their fallen comrade. Things soon got out of hand as the police used force, resulting in fatalities among the young people. Boniface Kariuki, a mask vendor in Nairobi, was caught between the police and protesters, and the police fired a rubber bullet at his head at close range, sending him to an intensive care unit at the Kenyatta National Hospital. He was declared brain dead after a few days and died on June 30. An autopsy report released on Thursday said Kariuki 'died from severe head injuries caused by a single close-range gunshot'. It further revealed that four bullet fragments remained lodged in his brain. Two officers who had been caught on camera firing the deadly bullet have been charged. This came about the time Kenyan youth also marked a year since the antigovernment protests began on June 25, 2024. In line with the anniversary, many young people across the country took to the streets to express their anger against the government. Those protests also became violent. Many businesses were destroyed in Nairobi, and some police stations in other places were set ablaze. That same day, three 17-year-olds, among others, were shot dead in different parts of the country. While the police have not commented on the deaths, the victims' families and rights groups say all three were killed in crossfire during the protests. Dennis Njuguna, a student in his final year of secondary school, was shot in Molo, Nakuru County, as he headed home from school for his mid-term break. In Nairobi's Roysambu area on the Thika Superhighway, police reportedly also shot dead Elijah Muthoka, whose mother said he had gone to a tailor but did not come back. That evening, she would receive the news that he was hospitalised at the nearby Uhai Neema Hospital. He was then transferred to the Kenyatta National Hospital and pronounced dead the next morning. Outside Nairobi in Olkalou, Nyandarua County, Brian Ndung'u was shot twice in the head, according to an autopsy report released by pathologists at the JM Kariuki County Referral Hospital. Margaret Gichuki, Ndung'u's sister, said her brother had just completed his secondary school education and learned photography so he could help raise his college fees together with their mother, who is a daily wage labourer. 'He had gone out to do street photography, which was his passion, and that is where he got shot. I was home and learned about his shooting through Facebook images that were shared by friends,' Gichuki told Al Jazeera. Gichuki described her brother as a hardworking young man who had a lot of dreams, but which were cut short by the bullet. 'After the autopsy, we could not get further information about the identity of the bullet that was removed from his head, as the police took it,' she said, explaining that one bullet was fragmented in his brain while another was removed by doctors and handed to the police during autopsy. Together with their cousin Margaret Wanjiku, Gichuki then called to inform their mother that Ndung'u was missing – not wanting to immediately shock her with the news that her son had died. 'Ndung'u had been pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital, but this was news that carried weight for [our mother], and we wanted to have her come home before we could break it other than tell her over the phone,' Wanjiku said. 'Surge' in harassment Less than two weeks after that, Kenyans again took to the streets in demonstrations that once again turned deadly. On Monday, they rallied for 'Saba Saba' meaning 'Seven Seven' in Kiswahili to mark the date on July 7, 1990, when people demanded a return to multiparty democracy after years of rule by then-President Daniel arap Moi. This year, the protest turned into a wider call for Ruto to resign and also a moment to remember Ojwang. Four days earlier, Ojwang's body had arrived at his home in Homa Bay for a nighttime vigil before his burial the next day. When it arrived, angry youth took hold of the coffin and marched with it to the Mawego police station, where he was last seen alive before he was taken to Nairobi. At the station, the youth set the station ablaze before making their way back to Ojwang's home with his body. The next day at the funeral, Anna Ngumi, a friend of Ojwang's, told mourners: 'We are not going to rest. We are not going to rest until justice is done. Remember we are still celebrating Seven Seven here. We will do Seven Seven for Albert Ojwang.' But at the rallies, police were once again heavy-handed. In Nairobi, they fired live rounds and water cannon at the protesters. Eleven people were killed. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said people were also abducted and arrested, adding that it was 'deeply concerned by the recent surge in harassment and persecution of Human Rights Defenders (HRDs) accused of organizing the ongoing protests'. 'Why did you kill my child?' Within his circles, Ojwang is said to have been a humble person who never quarrelled with anyone and instead sought peace whenever there was a conflict. His university friend Daniel Mushwahili said Ojwang was modest and sociable. 'I knew this person as a very cool and outgoing person. He had many friends. … He was not an arrogant person, not a bully, and did not even participate in harassing anybody,' Mushwahili said. He was 'a person who seeks peace'. Ojwang's mother Eucabeth, speaking at a reception by comedian Eric Omondi, lamented her son's killing, saying she had lost her only child and did not know how the family would cope without him. 'I had hope this child would assist me in building a house. He even had a project to plant vegetables, so we could sell and make money. Now I don't know where to start without him,' she said. 'I feel a lot of pain because there are people who came home and took my son. … I feel a lot of pain because he is dead.' Meanwhile, as the investigation into Ojwang's death continues, his father says he misses his 'trustworthy' son, who he relied on to take care of the family's most valuable things, even with the little they had. Opiyo said that when the officers came to their house to arrest his son, they saw how little the family had and knew they would not fight back. In his grief, he said he now wants answers from the police and in particular Deputy Inspector General Lagat, who made the complaint against Ojwang. 'Today, my son is dead from injuries inflicted through beating. I need you to explain to me why you killed my child,' Opiyo said. 'My son did not die in an accident or in war. He died in silence in the hands of those who were supposed to protect him.'
BBC News
17-06-2025
- BBC News
Why Albert Ojwang's death has put Kenya's police on trial
"My son died like an animal," said Meshack Ojwang, before breaking down in tears in front of journalists outside Central Police Station in Kenya's capital, only son Albert Ojwang had been arrested in their village of Kakoth, near the western town of Homa Bay, the day before - on Saturday 7 June 2025 - as he was having lunch with his wife Nevnina of the five arresting officers told the family he was accused of insulting a police boss on social media."We asked the police if he was going to be safe, because we had heard stories of some people being abducted," Ms Onyango told the BBC. "They assured us, at the point of even them giving us their numbers."When Mr Ojwang was booked into Central Police Station at around 21:30 on the Saturday night he was allowed to phone his wife."When we talked, he was like: 'As much as I'm stressed, don't worry that much. I'll see you soon.' I think those were his last words," she his father was concerned and decided to follow his son, making the 350km (220 miles) journey to Nairobi - carrying the family's land title deed as security in case it was needed to pay says he arrived early on the Sunday morning at the station, and after being kept waiting for several hours, was eventually told that his son had died from self-inflicted disbelief and standing next to his lawyer, he described seeing his son's body: "He was bleeding from the nose and had a bruised torso and face. He was also shirtless, but this is not how I handed him over to the police on Saturday." His candid interview in heartfelt Swahili and his refusal to stay silent touched Kenyans and the hashtag #JusticeForAlbertOjwang immediately began trending, with calls for an has a history of police brutality, but the subsequent revelations have stunned the nation - not only the details about the death in police custody of the trained teacher turned blogger, but the ensuing allegations of police lies and even called in the chief of police, the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the internal affairs minister and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) for is hard to imagine why the 31-year-old Bachelor of Education graduate could have died such brutal is clear that his father, who used to work in a quarry in south-eastern Kenya, was proud that his son from such humble beginnings had done so well academically."He could never hurt anyone either online or physically," David Bwakali, a former teaching colleague at Kituma Secondary School, told Kenya's Daily Nation's Ojwang, a passionate Manchester United football fan, had taught religious studies, history and rugby at the school in the town of Mwatate in south-eastern was only there for a couple of terms last year as he had not been employed on a government contract but privately through the school's management is common for new teachers - he had not long graduated from Pwani University - and such arrangements tend not to be well Bwakali said his friend had recently been in touch to discuss how he hoped to get a posting as a government it was an exciting time for Mr Ojwang, who lived in the coastal town of Malindi, as he and his 26-year-old wife had gone back to his rural Homa Bay home for a long visit so she could be properly introduced to his had arrived in April and were, according to Luo customs, formalising their of these traditions involved refurbishing his "simba" - or bachelor's pad within his father's homestead - into a home suitable for the couple and their three-year-old son was helping his parents out by doing some farm work on the family's two-acre plot of land - and he and his wife were making plans for their future with Ms Onyango's imminent graduation as a health Ojwang was also trying to make money as a digital content creator - and was part of a movement of young people on social media posting about political and social is what led to his death. It is not clear how many followers he had on X as his account was deleted after his arrest, but fellow influencers said he had a strong online presence and often participated in social media used a pseudonym - something that is not unusual with Kenyans online given recent crackdowns on youth have linked his death to a broader trend of police impunity, citing the unresolved deaths of more than 60 young people during last year's anti-tax protests."Ojwang's death is not an isolated incident but a chilling reminder of the institutionalised impunity and rogue behaviour within the National Police Service (NPS)," Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) director and renowned human rights defender, Khelef Khalifa, told local what is unusual about Albert Ojwang's case is the how swiftly and detailed the investigation has been. In addition, two days of the televised parliamentary hearings have meant that Kenyans have heard for themselves the disturbing details that led to his appearing before the parliament last Wednesday, police chief Douglas Kanja was forced to retract an earlier police statement that said that Mr Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and rushed to hospital, where he died of head injuries sustained after he banged his own head against a post-mortem examination and an unusually speedy investigation by the IPOA ruled out the possibility that the blogger had killed police chief apologised and blamed the error on "misinformation" from his went on to say that the arrest of Mr Ojwang had stemmed from defamatory online posts targeting his deputy, Eliud Lagat - who has since stepped aside. Mr Lagat said he was doing so in the "good and conscious thought" of his responsibilities as deputy police chief and that he would provide any support he could to the investigation into the blogger's to Mr Kanja's statement to parliament, the posts on X had alleged Mr Lagat was running corrupt operations in the police by placing trusted officers in specific departments and traffic shifts to "control both revenue streams and intelligence flow".Mr Kanja's statement detailed various posts including one that claimed Mr Lagat was under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) along with his photo and the phrase "Mafia Cop".According to the police chief's parliamentary statement, Mr Lagat had submitted a complaint to the DCI on 4 June about the posts. The next day when the EACC confirmed there was no investigation into Mr Lagat, the police proceeded with what was regarded as a "serious case" under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Kanja said the Communications Authority was contacted about two accounts linked to the posts. It led to the arrest of a man on 5 June who revealed that he and four others were involved in the campaign - one being Albert days later, the police had tracked Mr Ojwang down to his home village in western Kenya. In her testimony, IPOA Vice Chair Anne Wanjiku gave some shocking details about the last few hours of Mr Ojwang's said two witnesses, who were in a neighbouring cell, told the IPOA that they had heard loud screams on the night he investigators claim that a technician was paid $30 (£22) to disconnect the CCTV in the the parliamentary hearings ended, two police officers were arrested in connection with Mr Ojwang's IPOA, which is bringing the case, said junior officer PC James Mukhwana had told investigators the intention had been to "discipline" Mr Ojwang, not kill said the officer in charge of the station, Samson Talam, had been contacted by Mr Lagat with the order and had given the constable $15 to pay two inmates to beat up Mr Talam, through his lawyers, has denied the allegation and Mr Lagat has not Kenyan law, individuals in police custody are entitled to specific protections, including the right to legal representation and communication with advocates or support Ojwang's family are still having difficulty absorbing their loss."I had not believed it until I saw his body in the morgue," said Ms Onyango, telling the BBC it bore signs of torture. It was like "things that we just see in movies… I've never seen such a body. It was so heart breaking," she William Ruto, who pledged to end Kenya's history of police brutality and extrajudicial deaths when he came into power in 2022, has spoken out about his shock, saying: "This tragic occurrence, at the hands of police, is heart-breaking and unacceptable."He urged the police to co-operate fully to facilitate a "swift, transparent and credible investigation"."I fully expect that the truth about what happened to Ojwang will be established in due course and that justice will be served," he added. However nearly 160 cases of suspected extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances were reported across Kenya last year, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).IPOA chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan told MPs when he was questioned on Thursday that at least 20 people had died while held by police in the past four months alone."It is as if our constitution only is there like a newspaper to be read, and tomorrow we forget about it," Mr Ojwang's father told the has overwhelmed Mr Ojwang's widow: "I don't know what will happen next, because that one person that was my best friend… he's not there. So, I feel like my world is so small and it's dark."But like her father-in-law, Ms Onyango believes the case, which has sparked protests, could be a turning point."I think Albert's death should be an eye-opening to us, because it has shown us some of the things that are happening in the cells that maybe we don't know."I really want to talk to my fellow Kenyans to stand on our feet and try and talk about this matter, so that everybody can be accountable." You may also be interested in: BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protestersBatons, tear gas, live fire - Kenyans face police brutalityWATCH: Inside the world of Kenya's 'killer cop'New faces of protest - Kenya's Gen Z anti-tax revolutionariesKenyan tax protesters take on Christian leadersKenyan president's humbling shows power of African youth Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
BBC News
16-06-2025
- Politics
- BBC News
Eliud Lagat steps aside amid uproar over death of Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang in detention
Kenya's deputy police chief Eliud Lagat has stepped aside pending the outcome of investigations into the death in detention of blogger Albert Lagat had been under pressure to resign from the opposition and human rights activists as Mr Ojwang was arrested after he filed a complaint, accusing the blogger of defaming him on social media. Police initially said that Mr Ojwang died of self-inflicted wounds, but were forced to retract the statement after an autopsy found that he was likely to have died from assault wounds. Mr Lagat denied any wrongdoing, but said in a statement that he was stepping aside in the "good and conscious thought" of his responsibilities as deputy police chief. "I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident," Mr Lagat said. "I offer immense condolences to the family of Mr Albert Ojwang for their great loss," he added. Until the investigation is concluded, Mr Lagat will have no access to his office, and his duties will be performed by his comes amid intensifying pressure, with more demonstrations planned this week by activists demanding a transparent investigation into the 31-year-old blogger's Ojwang was arrested in his village of Kakoth, near the western town of Homa Bay, on 7 June. He was then driven to the main police station in Nairobi, and was reported to have died a few days an initial statement, police said Mr Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and was rushed to a city hospital, where he succumbed to head injuries allegedly sustained from banging his head against the an autopsy report and an investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), ruled out the possibility that Mr Ojwang might have killed investigations continue, the head of the police station has been detained, along with another officer and a technician accused of disabling the station's chief Douglas Kanja has apologised for the initial police claim that the blogger died of self-inflicted wounds, saying it was based on "misinformation" from his juniors. More BBC stories on Kenya: BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protestersBatons, tear gas, live fire - Kenyans face police brutalityWhy Kenya's president has so many nicknames Go to for more news from the African us on Twitter @BBCAfrica, on Facebook at BBC Africa or on Instagram at bbcafrica
Yahoo
14-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Kenyan blogger's wife seeks answers after his death in police custody
By Aaron Ross NAIROBI (Reuters) -When the policemen came for Albert Ojwang - the Kenyan blogger whose death in custody sparked protests this week and prompted a rare acknowledgement of police brutality by the president - his wife initially thought he would be safe. Unlike the dozens of political activists abducted by suspected security agents over the last year, the 31-year-old schoolteacher was taken to a police station and officers shared their phone numbers with his family. "When they came, they were so soft. They were not violent," said Nevnine Onyango, who was present when the officers arrived, accusing her husband of insulting their "boss". "So that is what gave me even more confidence." The next morning, a family member called with the news that Ojwang, the father of their three-year-old son, was dead. In the week since, the blogger's death has become a lightning rod in a nation just one year removed from mass youth-led protests that were fuelled, in part, by disgust at pervasive police violence. Hundreds protested in the capital Nairobi this week, with vehicles set ablaze and the police firing teargas. Demonstrators cited Ojwang's death as evidence that nothing had changed one year after more than 60 people were killed in demonstrations initially sparked by proposed tax hikes. Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay, in western Kenya, as part of an investigation triggered by a formal complaint from the deputy chief of the national police force, Eliud Lagat, according to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, Kenya's government-funded police watchdog. Lagat had stated he had been the target of alleged false and malicious information published on X, IPOA said. Kenya's police chief initially implied that Ojwang had died by suicide but later apologised after an autopsy found that his wounds - including a head injury, neck compression and soft tissue damage - pointed to assault as the cause of death. President William Ruto said on Wednesday that Ojwang had died "at the hands of the police", which he said was "heartbreaking and unacceptable". Three people have so far been arrested in the case: the policeman in charge of the police station in Nairobi where Ojwang was found dead, a police constable and a closed-circuit television technician at the station. Reuters was not able to reach Lagat for comment, and a police spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment. In the past, the police have called examples of abuse isolated incidents. SUPPOSED TO PROTECT, NOT HARM It is not clear what Ojwang posted that got the attention of the police. His social media accounts no longer appear to be active. According to IPOA, which is investigating his death, Lagat's complaint triggered a probe that led to the arrest of another blogger. Interrogations of that blogger identified Ojwang as a person of interest, IPOA said. And so, last Saturday at lunchtime, police officers arrived at Ojwang's house on motorcycles and told him "there are some remarks that he had made about their boss, that the boss is corrupt", his wife Onyango said. They did not identify their boss. They first took Ojwang to the local police station before telling his family they would transfer him to Nairobi, nearly 300 km (185 miles) away, she said. She last heard from him at around 9 p.m. (1800 GMT) the Saturday of his arrest when he called her from Nairobi's Central Police Station. She said he sounded worried and asked if she would be able to come to Nairobi. Onyango is now hoping for answers - and accountability - from IPOA's investigation. "We always see these things on television, and it actually reached my door," she said of police abuses. "These people are supposed to protect us. They're not supposed to harm us."
