NAIROBI, Kenya
A protest over the death of a Kenyan teacher and X influencer, Albert Ojwang, in police custody took an ugly turn on Tuesday, when one of the protesters was cornered by two police officers and shot dead in Nairobi.
The deceased, whose identity has not been released by authorities, was seen having a heated argument with two uniformed officers near Moi Avenue when one of them, wearing a mask, drew his weapon and fired a single shot to the head.
The incident occurred in broad daylight near a section of the city densely populated with demonstrators and media crews, with footage captured from various angles.
Protesters quickly lifted the victim’s lifeless body and marched through the streets, waving Kenyan flags and shouting anti-police slogans.
“Police, stop the killings,” read one of the placards carried by a woman in the procession.
The protest drew hundreds of people demanding accountability for Ojwang’s death, which occurred in police custody earlier this month after he was arrested for allegedly defaming a senior officer.
An autopsy later revealed evidence of blunt-force trauma and strangulation, contradicting earlier police claims that he killed himself.
Rights groups and legal advocates condemned Tuesday’s killing and demanded an immediate investigation.
This comes as Kenya’s Deputy Inspector-General of Police, Eliud Kipkoech Lagat, announced Monday that he will temporarily step down from his position to allow investigations into Ojwang’s death to continue.
Kenyan President William Ruto condemned Ojwang’s death as “heartbreaking and unacceptable” and demanded a prompt and credible investigation.
Tuesday’s protest, one of several in recent days, was mostly peaceful until a group of suspected goons appeared, dressed in plain clothes and wielding sticks.
Several demonstrators claimed that the group was sent to incite violence and disrupt the protest.
