NAIROBI: The National Police Service (NPS) has confirmed the arrest of a police officer caught on video shooting an unarmed civilian during Tuesday’s protests in Nairobi’s Central Business District. 

The incident occurred amid nationwide demonstrations demanding justice for Albert Omondi Ojwang, the Migori-based blogger who died in police custody under suspicious circumstances.

In a press statement seen by ChimpReports, the NPS acknowledged public concern over the footage, which showed a uniformed officer using an anti-riot shotgun to fire at a protester during clashes in downtown Nairobi on Monday. “The Inspector-General National Police Service ordered for the immediate arrest and arraignment in court of the involved officer,” the statement read. The shooting occurred as demonstrations swept through the city, sparked by Ojwang’s death, which many Kenyans believe was a politically motivated killing. 

Ojwang had reportedly been arrested over a Facebook post criticizing Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.

Authorities initially claimed he died from self-inflicted injuries after “hitting his head against a cell wall,” but civil society groups, opposition leaders, and witnesses have pointed to possible torture, citing inconsistencies and visible injuries on his body. Protesters marched with placards reading “Justice for Ojwang”, “Lagat Must Go”, and “Stop Police Murders”, demanding accountability from the highest levels of the police command. 

However, the NPS pushed back against what it described as unlawful behavior during the protests, stating:

“The Service takes great exception and does not condone such unlawful groupings. Such individuals will be handled firmly, according to the law. Consequently, investigations have commenced to identify and deal with the criminals accordingly.”

The police claimed that a group of “goons” armed with crude weapons had infiltrated the protests, but made no distinction between peaceful demonstrators and violent elements — a move critics say reflects the government’s continued criminalization of dissent.

Mounting Public Pressure

The shooting incident further inflames an already volatile situation. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) on Monday directed the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to fast-track investigations into Ojwang’s death and submit a prosecutorial file within seven days.

Opposition politicians, including former Chief Justice David Maraga, have gone further, accusing Deputy IG Lagat and other top officials of directly contributing to Ojwang’s death and covering it up.

“There is prima facie evidence that Mr. Eliud Lagat — directly or indirectly, by himself or through his accomplices — is implicated in the illegal arrest, torture, strangulation, and eventual murder of Albert Ojwang. Yet, Mr. Lagat still remains in office,” Maraga declared in a statement.

He has called for protests on June 25 if no arrests or resignations take place, pledging to join private prosecutions against the police leadership.

Test for Ruto’s Leadership

While President William Ruto condemned the death as “heartbreaking and unacceptable,” he has stopped short of calling for resignations or ordering a purge within the police ranks.

“I fully expect that the truth about what happened to Ojwang will be established in due course, and that justice will be served,” Ruto said in a June 11 address.

But critics, including youth-led groups and human rights activists, accuse the President of failing to take decisive action, allowing a culture of impunity to thrive within the security forces.

With public anger mounting, and another civilian now hospitalized after police violence, the Ojwang case is rapidly becoming a defining moment for Kenya’s human rights landscape and political leadership.

By ChimpReports