Protests in Nairobi Turn Deadly as Outrage Mounts Over Blogger’s Death in Police Custody

Nairobi, Kenya – Violent clashes erupted in downtown Nairobi on June 17, 2025, as hundreds of demonstrators demanding justice for the late blogger and educator Albert Ojwang faced off against stick-wielding men believed to be pro-government supporters, as well as riot police. The unrest, which also spread to the coastal city of Mombasa, left at least one person dead and more than a dozen injured, intensifying national scrutiny over police brutality and alleged extrajudicial killings.

Ojwang, 31, was arrested on June 6 in his home village in western Kenya for allegedly defaming Deputy Police Chief Eliud Lagat on social media. He was transferred over 350 kilometers to Nairobi, where he died in police custody two days later. Authorities initially claimed Ojwang’s death was a suicide, but an independent autopsy contradicted this, revealing injuries consistent with assault and blunt force trauma that were “unlikely to be self-inflicted”.

Eyewitness accounts and video footage from the protests show plainclothes motorcyclists, some armed with clubs and whips, attacking demonstrators while police deployed tear gas to disperse the crowds. Amnesty International’s Kenya branch condemned the use of such militia, warning it would only fuel further chaos. Protesters carried signs reading “Stop killing us” and “Ruto stop killing us,” referencing President William Ruto, who has publicly described Ojwang’s death as “heartbreaking and unacceptable” and admitted it occurred “at the hands of the police”.

The violence comes amid growing anger over a pattern of deadly police crackdowns. Last year, more than 60 people were killed during protests against a controversial tax bill. Human rights groups and civil society organizations have called for urgent reforms and accountability within Kenya’s security forces.

In response to public outcry, two police officers and a technician accused of disabling surveillance cameras at the Central Police Station have been arrested in connection with Ojwang’s death. Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, the senior officer named in the defamation complaint, has stepped down pending investigation.

Ojwang’s family, still reeling from his loss, reported signs of torture on his body and disputed official accounts of his death. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Internal Affairs Unit continue to investigate, as Kenyans demand justice and an end to impunity for security forces.

The situation remains tense, with activists warning that the government’s response to the protests will be a key test for President Ruto’s administration and its commitment to human rights and the rule of law.