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The hawker, Boniface Kariuki, remains hospitalized in critical
condition in an intensive care unit.
Tuesday’s protests in the capital, Nairobi, followed tensions
over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang, who was found dead
while in custody at the Central Police Station.
Ojwang was arrested on June 6 in western Kenya for what police
called publishing “false information” about a top police
official on social media. Police attributed his death to him
“hitting his head against the cell wall,” but activists have
questioned the cause of death.
Protesters on Tuesday demanded the arrest of the police deputy
inspector general, Eliud Langat, who had filed a defamation
complaint against Ojwang.
Langat said Monday he had stepped aside and would cooperate with
investigators. The two officers at the Central Police Station
were arrested last week.
The officers who were accused of shooting the hawker during
protests appeared in court Thursday. Klinzy Barasa and Duncan
Kiprono were represented by their lawyer, Abdirazak Mohammed.
“There is a difference between public pressure and the law. The
public pressure is a political thing, and law is regarding what
has happened. I can’t preempt anything, there was no case
brought today,” the lawyer told journalists.
The officers will remain in custody until July 3. During their
court appearance, they concealed their faces with masks,
sparking complaints from activists.
Kenya has a history of police brutality, and President William
Ruto previously vowed to end it, along with extrajudicial
killings.
Last year, several activists and protesters were abducted and
killed by Kenyan police during protests against tax hikes. The
demonstrations led to calls for Ruto’s removal.
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