Clashes Injure 11 as Kenyans Protest Death of Blogger in Police Custody
TEHRAN (Tasnim) - Kenyan police have shot an apparent bystander at close range during the latest protests over the killing of a blogger in police custody this month, triggering even more public fury and demands for accountability.
According to witness accounts, a police officer who had concealed his face shot the unarmed man in the head on Tuesday with what appeared to be a shotgun, Al Jazeera reported.
The man was believed to be a vendor caught up in a confrontation with two officers while standing on a Nairobi sidewalk. He was being treated at Kenya’s largest referral government hospital, which said through a spokesperson that his injuries included gunshot wounds.
Police in a statement expressed concern and said the officer had been arrested.
At least 10 other people were injured in the demonstration as hundreds of men on motorbikes, armed with whips and clubs, attacked protesters in downtown Nairobi.
The swarm of men on motorbikes could be heard shouting, “No protest!” in footage shared by local broadcaster NTV.
Amnesty International’s Kenya chapter condemned the attack, writing on X that the “use of militia will escalate confrontation, lawlessness and chaos”.
The incident came more than a week after the death of Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger. He died just two days after being arrested in the town of Homa Bay in western Kenya for allegedly criticizing Eliud Lagat, the country’s deputy police chief.
A Kenyan police officer has been arrested in connection with Ojwang’s death.
The protests reflect a wider concern about police violence. Rights groups said more than 60 people were killed by security forces last year during demonstrations in June and July against a bill that would have increased taxes.
