By: TPA News Desk | editor@thepointafricanews.com

NAIROBI, Kenya – Protests across Kenya escalated dramatically on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, with at least 22 people injured and a police officer arrested in connection with the shooting of an unarmed civilian during demonstrations. The nationwide outcry was sparked by the death of prominent blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang, who was found dead on June 8 while in police custody, just two days after his arrest on June 6.

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) reported the casualties, noting injuries ranging from gunshot wounds and head cuts to blunt trauma and asthma attacks from teargas. Protests erupted in major cities including Nairobi and Mombasa, as well as smaller towns like Kilifi and Kwale, with demonstrators demanding justice for Ojwang and an end to persistent police brutality.

A particularly disturbing incident occurred in Nairobi, where a police officer, whose face was concealed by a mask, was captured on video shooting an unarmed face mask vendor at close range. The victim, identified as Boniface Kariuki, 22, was critically injured with a gunshot wound to the head and is currently receiving treatment at Kenyatta National Hospital. The National Police Service (NPS) confirmed the officer’s arrest, stating that Klinzy Barasa and Duncan Kiprono were being processed by detectives for “further action” in connection with the shooting. This immediate arrest came after widespread public outrage and demands for accountability.

Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and social media commentator, was arrested on June 6 in Homa Bay for allegedly defaming Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Langat. He was then transported over 350 kilometers to the Central Police Station in Nairobi. Authorities initially claimed Ojwang died by hitting his head against a cell wall. However, an independent autopsy contradicted this, indicating that his wounds were a result of assault and were “unlikely to be self-inflicted.” Kenyan President William Ruto publicly admitted last week that Ojwang died “at the hands of the police,” calling the death “heartbreaking and unacceptable.”

In addition to the officer arrested for the shooting during Tuesday’s protests, two senior police officers from the Central Police Station, Samson Talam and James Mukhwana, along with a civilian technician, were arrested last week as part of the ongoing investigation into Ojwang’s death. The civilian technician is suspected of tampering with the police station’s CCTV system on the night of June 7-8, allegedly to conceal Ojwang being taken from his cell and tortured. Deputy Inspector General Eliud Langat announced on Monday that he had temporarily stepped aside to cooperate with investigations.

The KNCHR condemned the actions of the police, including the reported deployment of masked “goons” on motorbikes who brutally attacked protestors, seemingly with police complicity. The commission called for the immediate and unconditional release of arrested peaceful protestors and urged swift, independent, and transparent investigations into police conduct.