Kenyan cops who had been on responsibility when a person died in custody at a police station have been barred from returning to work pending the end result of investigations, police Inspector-Common Douglas Kanja has stated.
Albert Ojwang was arrested on Friday after Kenya’s deputy police chief accused him of tarnishing his title, Mr Kanja confirmed.
“Whereas in custody, the suspect sustained head accidents after hitting his head in opposition to a cell wall,” a police assertion stated. He was rushed to hospital “the place he was pronounced lifeless on arrival”.
The director of Amnesty Worldwide’s Kenya department advised the BBC that Mr Ojwang’s loss of life was “very suspicious”.
Amnesty stated in a press release that it “raises critical questions that should be urgently, totally, and independently investigated”.
Senior police officer Stephen Okal is quoted by the Star newspaper as saying what occurred within the cell was “an tried suicide”.
Mr Ojwang, described in media stories as a trainer and blogger, was arrested within the western city of Homa Bay after which pushed 350km (220 miles) to the capital, Nairobi, his father Meshack Opiyo advised journalists.
He had been accused of “false publication”,with Mr Opiyo telling on-line information web site Citizen Digital that the arresting police officer stated “Albert had insulted a senior individual on X”, the social media platform.
A police assertion stated the officers who had been on responsibility on the time – together with the pinnacle of the police station – had been “interdicted” to permit Kenya’s impartial oversight physique to conduct an “neutral investigation”.
This meant that the officers couldn’t carry out their duties, and would obtain half their salaries, pending the end result of the investigation, police spokesman Michael Muchiri advised the BBC.
Talking at a press convention, Mr Kanja stated the police would give the investigators all “essential assist” to resolve the case.
He stated Mr Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay on Friday, then transferred to Nairobi for questioning and booked on the police station on Saturday.
In keeping with the police chief, Mr Ojwang was discovered unconscious throughout a routine inspection of the cells, and was taken to a hospital the place he was pronounced lifeless on arrival.
He stated the arrest had been prompted by a grievance by deputy police chief Eliud Lagat “about his title being tarnished”.
“It was on that foundation that investigations had been really being carried out,” the police chief added.
The pinnacle of the Impartial Police Oversight Fee (Ipoa), Ahmed Isaack Hassan, has stated his crew will do “all the things to make sure justice is served for the household and for all Kenyans”.
Mr Hassan, who attended the press convention, known as on officers to not intervene with the investigations.
A autopsy examination was scheduled to be carried out on Monday.
The loss of life of Mr Ojwang, who was reported to have been 31, has sparked outrage on-line and requires protests to demand police accountability.
Referring to the circumstances of his arrest, Amnesty Kenya director Irungu Houghton stated it was “fairly surprising” that Mr Ojwang was not booked in on the native police station after being detained, however was as an alternative taken on an extended journey.
He known as on the impartial investigators to safe what he described as “the crime scene” on the police station in Nairobi.
Ojwang’s detention and loss of life comes at a time of rising concern about how some authorities critics are being handled.
Final week, software program developer Rose Njeri – who created a device to assist folks oppose a authorities finance invoice – was charged with violating a cybercrime legislation.
