Kenyan dies in custody after arrest for social media post

The Kenya’s independent police surveillance body has launched an investigation into the death of a man who had been detained, “for a false publication,” said police.

Albert Ojwang was arrested for a position on X in the western town of Homa Bay, then led 350 km (220 miles) to the capital, its journalists told Nairobi.

“In detention, the suspect suffered injury to the head after hitting the head against a cell wall”, ” A police press release said. He was transported urgently to the hospital “where he was declared dead on his arrival”.

The director of the AMNESTY International rights group, the Kenya branch, told BBC that Mr. Ojwang’s death, described as a teacher and blogger, was “very suspicious”.

Amnesty said in a declaration that his death “raises serious questions which must be urgent, carefully and investigates independently”.

Higher police officer Stephen Okal is Quoted by the star newspaper As saying what happened in the cell was “a suicide attempt”.

We do not know what the accusation of “false publication” mentioned, but Mr. Opiyo said Digital citizen online information site That the policeman who was arrested said “Albert had insulted an elderly person on X”, the social media platform.

Referring to the circumstances of his arrest, the director of Amnesty International Kenya, Irungu Houghton, said that he was “quite shocking” that Mr. Ojwang was not reserved for the local police station after being detained, but he made a long trip.

He called on independent investigators to secure what he described as “the crime scene” at the Nairobi police station.

Police said Ojwang had been “legally arrested”.

His detention and death arise at a time of concern for the way some criticisms of the government are treated.

Last week, Man developer – who created a tool to help people oppose a government finance bill – was accused of having raped a cybercrime law.