Kenya dies in custody after arrest for social media publication

The independent police supervision of Kenya police have launched an investigation into the death of a man who was detained “for false publication,” police said.

Albert Ozwang was arrested in the western city of Homa Bay and then drove 350 km (220 miles) in the capital, Nerobi’s journalists told his father Meshak Opio.

“While in custody, the suspect received head injuries after hitting his head to a cell wall,” A police statement is saidS He was taken to a hospital “where he was declared dead on his arrival.”

The director of the Kenyan branch of the Amnesty International Rights Group told the BBC that the death of G -n Ojwang, described in reports as a teacher and blogger, is “very suspicious”.

said Amnesty in a statement that his death “raises serious questions that need urgent, thoroughly and independently investigate.”

Senior police officer Stephen Okal is Quoted by the Star newspaper Having said what happened in the cell was a “suicide attempt.”

It is not clear what the charge of “fake publication” is referring to, but d -n -opiyo said Online news site Citizen Digital That the arresting police officer said “Albert has offended a senior man of X,” the social media platform.

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

He urged independent investigators to provide what he described as a “crime scene” at the Nairobi police station.

Police said G -n Ojwang was “legally arrested”.

His detention and death comes at a time of increasing concern about how some government critics are treated.

Last week, Rose Man software developer – who created an instrument to help people oppose the government’s funding bill – he was accused of violating the Cybercrime Act.