Latest news with #Ojwang
Sydney Morning Herald
a day ago
- Politics
- Sydney Morning Herald
How the death of a blogger fuelled deadly protests across a nation
The protests against Ojwang's death in custody coincided with demonstrations already planned in Kenya to mark the first anniversary of an anti-government movement led by youth who call themselves Gen Z. Those demonstrations a year ago – sparked by opposition to a proposed tax hike and fuelled, in part, by disgust at pervasive police violence – left more than 60 people dead and 20 others missing. Parliament was also stormed. On Wednesday, a wave of youth-led demonstrations across the country was followed by looting and arson in the capital, Nairobi, and other cities. Kenyan police used live rounds, tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters. Rights group Amnesty Kenya said 16 people had been killed – all from gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear who had shot them, and Kenyan police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the injuries. The New York Times reported that at least 400 people were injured in Wednesday's protests – 83 of them seriously, citing an alliance of grassroots organisations. 'Many of us are being killed with no reason,' said Don Cliff Ochieng, 24, a security guard in Nairobi who said that he was protesting because of the lack of economic opportunities and police brutality. 'It is our right to demonstrate.' On Thursday, after a night of looting and arson left buildings smouldering in central Nairobi, shop owners were cleaning up the charred wreckage. 'Look: everything they burnt. So please government, try talking to the Gen Z. Because this happened [because] of Gen Z. So the Gen Z, try to sit down and talk with the government,' Ibrahim Hamisi, whose building was burnt, said. Shopkeeper Josephine Apondi said 'thugs' had looted 2 million shillings ($23,500) worth of phones and electronics from her Nairobi shop. Kenya's Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, has accused protesters of attempting to enact 'regime change' and said police had been forced to hold back large crowds who sought to approach parliament and State House, the president's residence. 'Criminal anarchists' had 'unleashed a wave of violence, looting, sexual assault and destruction upon our people', he said. But Boniface Mwangi, one of the prominent figures in the protest movement, told Reuters: 'The branding of [the] protests as a coup is the government's attempt to shift attention from the real issue.'
The Age
a day ago
- Politics
- The Age
How the death of a blogger fuelled deadly protests across a nation
The protests against Ojwang's death in custody coincided with demonstrations already planned in Kenya to mark the first anniversary of an anti-government movement led by youth who call themselves Gen Z. Those demonstrations a year ago – sparked by opposition to a proposed tax hike and fuelled, in part, by disgust at pervasive police violence – left more than 60 people dead and 20 others missing. Parliament was also stormed. On Wednesday, a wave of youth-led demonstrations across the country was followed by looting and arson in the capital, Nairobi, and other cities. Kenyan police used live rounds, tear gas and rubber bullets against protesters. Rights group Amnesty Kenya said 16 people had been killed – all from gunshot wounds. It was not immediately clear who had shot them, and Kenyan police spokesperson Muchiri Nyaga declined to comment on the injuries. The New York Times reported that at least 400 people were injured in Wednesday's protests – 83 of them seriously, citing an alliance of grassroots organisations. 'Many of us are being killed with no reason,' said Don Cliff Ochieng, 24, a security guard in Nairobi who said that he was protesting because of the lack of economic opportunities and police brutality. 'It is our right to demonstrate.' On Thursday, after a night of looting and arson left buildings smouldering in central Nairobi, shop owners were cleaning up the charred wreckage. 'Look: everything they burnt. So please government, try talking to the Gen Z. Because this happened [because] of Gen Z. So the Gen Z, try to sit down and talk with the government,' Ibrahim Hamisi, whose building was burnt, said. Shopkeeper Josephine Apondi said 'thugs' had looted 2 million shillings ($23,500) worth of phones and electronics from her Nairobi shop. Kenya's Interior Minister, Kipchumba Murkomen, has accused protesters of attempting to enact 'regime change' and said police had been forced to hold back large crowds who sought to approach parliament and State House, the president's residence. 'Criminal anarchists' had 'unleashed a wave of violence, looting, sexual assault and destruction upon our people', he said. But Boniface Mwangi, one of the prominent figures in the protest movement, told Reuters: 'The branding of [the] protests as a coup is the government's attempt to shift attention from the real issue.'
The South African
a day ago
- The South African
Nation in flames: What sparked Kenya's deadly protests?
The death of blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang in police custody on 8 June ignited flames of nationwide protests on 25 June. A video claimed that Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat was planning an extortion syndicate, which led to Ojwang's concern. In contrast to the initial police claim that he committed suicide, his body showed signs of severe torture. Police claims that Ojwang had fatally struck his skull against a wall were refuted by government pathologist Dr Bernard Midia, who flatly denied the possibility of self-harm. The autopsy revealed significant soft tissue lesions, cervical compression, and blunt force damage to the skull, all of which were consistent with an attack rather than self-harm. Before becoming well-known as a digital activist on TikTok and X, 31-year-old Albert Omondi Ojwang taught Kiswahili and religious studies at Moi Boys High School in Voi, Taita Taveta County, southern Kenya. He regularly published tapes detailing alleged illegal arrests and bribery by traffic cops. On 6 June 2025, he identified high-ranking officials involved in 'mafia-style' police corruption in a livestream. Ojwang openly accused Officer James Mukhwana, Officer Commanding Station Samson Talaam, and Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Lagat of running a police extortion ring. Later that night, authorities took him into custody without a warrant or public explanation. Social media platforms, particularly TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), helped #JusticeForOjwang garner national attention and intensify the protests. As of 26 June, Amnesty International (AI) Kenya reported that gunshot wounds had caused hundreds of injuries and 16 fatalities. The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), using eyewitness reports, mortuary statistics, and hospital records, confirmed it. Many stores, particularly in Nairobi and Mombasa, suffered looting, raging flames, or vandalism during rallies. Traders also reported property damages amounting to millions of Kenyan shillings. According to Reuters, at least ten buildings in Nairobi's central business district were on fire. Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Talaam, along with two additional police officers and three individuals, faced charges of murder. Consequently, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson M. Ingonga indicted them in connection with Ojwang's death on 23 June 2025. Furthermore, the interior cabinet secretary, Kipchumba Murkomen, called the protesters 'terrorism disguised as dissent'. Many Western embassies and the United Nations (UN) expressed deep concern over the deaths. They urged the Kenyan government to ensure accountability and protect human rights amid the crisis. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 11. Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp, Facebook, X and Bluesky for the latest news
Daily Maverick
2 days ago
- Politics
- Daily Maverick
Kenya's President Ruto faces major challenge as nation's young people risk death for a better life
An analyst said high unemployment, the disproportionate and violent police response to protests, and the abductions and disappearances of government critics were radicalising young Kenyans. Kenya is caught in a spiral of violence in which protests against corruption, misgovernance and police brutality spark further police brutality and these, in turn, inspire further protests. Underlying this feedback loop is a deep and abiding malaise felt mainly by young people over their deteriorating living conditions and prospects. Wednesday's demonstrations, in which at least 16 people died in the capital, Nairobi, and elsewhere in the country, were held mainly to commemorate the violent suppression of anti-tax protests a year ago when about 60 people were killed. Those protests peaked on 25 June 2024 when protesters stormed the parliament while MPs inside passed legislation to raise taxes. This week's anniversary marches started peacefully but then turned violent with protesters engaging in running battles with the police, who fired tear gas and barricaded government buildings with barbed wire. The demonstrators were also protesting at the death of the teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody this month after he accused on social media the country's deputy police chief, Eliud Lagat, of corruption. Some were also protesting against the police shooting of the vendor Boniface Kariuki at close range during a protest over Ojwang's death. President William Ruto's government ordered TV and radio stations to stop live broadcasts of the protests to try to defuse them. When the TV stations NTV, KTN, K24 and Kameme refused to do so, they were taken off air. 'We face an unfortunate paradox as a country where more lives are being lost as the people seek justice for the lives already lost,' said the Law Society of Kenya's president, Faith Odhiambo, on X. 'Our hearts break for all the victims of the continued trend of police brutality and excesses.' But the demonstrators, mostly young, are also expressing a growing frustration at corruption, unemployment and rising living costs. The major protests of a year ago were provoked by Ruto's introduction of a Bill to substantially increase taxes to balance the government's books. The unexpectedly vigorous protests eventually persuaded him to withdraw the Bill. Some Kenyan analysts say he surreptitiously dispersed the tax increases in other legislation. However, the imminent national Budget for this year is expected to focus on increasing tax revenue via higher compliance rather than imposing new taxes, according to Africa Confidential. Although protests peaked last year over Ruto's tax hike, street demonstrations continued intermittently. On 12 June, police used tear gas to disperse crowds which had gathered near the National Assembly to protest at Ojwang's killing and attempts by the police to cover it up. And abductions and disappearances of government critics continued. Strangled The police initially claimed that Ojwang (31) had died from 'hitting his head against a cell wall', implying that he had committed suicide. But a postmortem showed he had been strangled and beaten to death. On 11 June, Ruto admitted that Ojwang had been killed 'at the hands of the police' and described the killing as 'heartbreaking and unacceptable'. The same day, Inspector-General Douglas Kanja apologised to the National Assembly for saying that Ojwang's injuries had been self-inflicted. That day too, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority chairperson, Ahmed Issack Hassan, told a National Assembly committee that there had been '20 deaths in police custody in the last four months'. On Tuesday, prosecutors charged six people, including three police officers, for their role in killing Ojwang. But the move did not satisfy protesters, who complained that the three officers were taking the rap for Deputy Police Chief Lagat, who they believed was responsible for Ojwang's death. Some analysts believe Ruto's decision to acknowledge that the police were guilty was an encouraging if somewhat belated sign of accountability on his part. Others believe it was a sign of his anxiety about the growing protests and the need to deflect them, rather than evidence of genuine penitence. That it has taken so long for Ruto to finger the police suggests complicity in their previous excesses. One analyst, who did not wish to be named, said high unemployment, the disproportionate and violent police response, and the abductions and disappearances of government critics were radicalising young Kenyans. He noted that 60% of the population was under 25, and 75% under 35. 'Their grievances are legit. They need their country to work, yet Ruto is not doing the bare minimum to make the country work. He keeps shooting himself in the foot with 'reforms' that really ignore country context.' Protesters also felt that Ruto had lied to quell last year's protests with cosmetic reforms, such as firing the Cabinet, yet returning most of the ministers to office; withdrawing the finance Bill; and surreptitiously sneaking the bad proposals into other Bills. The protesters were also not convinced by Ruto's stratagem of bringing his erstwhile political rival, Raila Odinga, into a broad-based government. 'In short, Ruto squandered public trust and the political capital with which he came to power [in 2023] and now he believes using fiat and force, and increased surveillance will manage the country. 'He keeps on applying Band-Aid, while the young people, most of them who have already given up, want him to do the right thing. He threatens to kill them, and they tell him they are ready to be martyred,' said the analyst. DM
Dubai Eye
3 days ago
- Politics
- Dubai Eye
Kenyans brace for protests one year after storming parliament
Kenyans are expected to take to the streets in large numbers on Wednesday to mark the one-year anniversary of anti-government protests that culminated in the storming of parliament and several deaths as police opened fire on demonstrators. Although the protests eventually faded after President William Ruto withdrew proposed tax hikes that had initially sparked the rallies, public anger over the use of force by security agencies has not abated, with fresh demonstrations erupting this month over the death of a blogger in police custody. Six people, including three police officers, were charged with murder on Tuesday over the killing of 31-year-old blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang. All have pleaded not guilty. The death of Ojwang has become a lightning rod for Kenyans still mourning the deaths of more than 60 people killed during last year's demonstrations and blaming security forces for the fatalities and dozens of unexplained abductions. Police sources told Reuters that a heavy security presence would be deployed around downtown Nairobi, particularly near the presidency, parliament and the central business district. The interior ministry in a post on X on Tuesday warned protesters not to "provoke police" or "attempt to breach protected areas". The unprecedented scenes on June 25, 2024, showing police firing at demonstrators as they broke through barriers to enter parliament, created the biggest crisis of Ruto's presidency and sparked alarm among Kenya's international allies. On Tuesday, the embassies of the US, Britain, Canada and other Western nations released a joint statement on X urging all involved to "facilitate peaceful demonstrations and to refrain from violence". "The use of plain clothed officers in unmarked vehicles erodes public trust," the statement said. Rights campaigners condemned the presence of unidentified police officers at protests last year. The embassies also said they were troubled by the use of hired "goons" to disrupt peaceful demonstrations, after Reuters reporters saw groups of men beating protesters with sticks and whips last week. The counter-protesters have defended their actions, telling Reuters that they are not goons but rather patriots protecting property from looters. Two police officers were arrested last week over the shooting of an unarmed civilian during a protest in Nairobi over the death of Ojwang, the blogger. Kenya's police chief initially implied that Ojwang had taken his life but later apologised after an autopsy found that his wounds pointed to assault as the cause of death. President Ruto said that Ojwang had died "at the hands of the police", which he said was "heartbreaking and unacceptable".
