A Kenyan police officer has been arrested for shooting an unarmed civilian during a protest in Nairobi, according to police spokesman Muchiri Nyaga. The demonstration erupted over the recent death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody, triggering outrage across the country and protests in several cities.
Footage posted on Citizen TV’s social media platform shows two officers confronting a man, hitting him in the head as he tries to walk away, before one of them opens fire. In the video, passersby can be heard shouting “You killed him.” Additional footage released by the Nation newspaper includes a witness who claims the victim was selling face masks and was not attending the protest.
The officer responsible was detained on the orders of the Inspector General of Police and is expected to be formally charged.
Protests over Ojwang’s death have spread beyond Nairobi to Mombasa, Kilifi and Kwale counties. The Kenya National Human Rights Commission reported that at least 21 people were injured as a result of police actions, including gunshot wounds, head trauma and complications from tear gas.
Ojwang, 31, died in custody on June 8. Authorities initially claimed he committed suicide, but an independent autopsy later refuted that claim, finding signs of physical assault. The police chief later apologized publicly.
Tensions flared during Tuesday’s protests as groups of unidentified motorcyclists attacked demonstrators, and violence escalated when police used tear gas to disperse the crowd. The unrest is reminiscent of deadly protests against tax reforms last year that left more than 60 people dead, and has revived long-standing concerns about police brutality and extrajudicial killings in Kenya.