Kenyan blogger was hit and assaulted to death, autopsy reveals
EPAA Kenyan blogger who died in police custody was hit on the head and his death was likely to have been caused by assault, a post-mortem has revealed.
This contradicts earlier police claims that Albert Ojwang "sustained head injuries after hitting his head against a cell wall".
His death has sparked widespread outrage in Kenya, with rights groups demanding that police be held accountable. Mr Ojwang was detained following a complaint by the deputy police chief, who accused him of tarnishing his name on social media.
"The cause of death is very clear; head injury, neck compression and other injuries spread all over the body that are pointing towards assault," state pathologist Bernard Midia said.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja retracted the earlier police statement which said that Mr Ojwang died after hitting his head against a wall.
"I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service for that misinformation," Mr Kanja said while appearing before the senate on Wednesday.
Mr Ojwang, a digital creator who microblogged on X and Facebook on topical political and social issues, was arrested in Homa Bay, a town in western Kenya, on Friday.
The 31-year-old, who is also said to be a teacher, was detained over a post on X that was allegedly critical of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.
He was subsequently transferred over 350km (220 miles) to the capital, Nairobi, and booked into the Central Police Station on Saturday.
Police said he was later found unconscious in his cell with self-inflicted injuries.
But an autopsy, conducted by five pathologists who released a unanimous report, revealed that Mr Ojwang had severe head injuries and suffered neck compression and multiple soft tissue trauma.
Dr Midia, who led the team of pathologists, said that Mr Ojwang did not hit himself on the wall, as police had said in a statement on Sunday.
He said if Mr Ojwang had done this, the pattern of injuries would have been different, and frontal bleeding on the head would be seen.
"But the bleeds that we found on the scalp… on the skin of the head were spaced, including on the face, sides of the head and the back of the head," Dr Midia said at a press conference.
"There were also multiple soft tissue injuries spread all over the body, including the head, neck, upper limbs and the trunk and lower limbs... these were injuries that were externally inflicted," he added.
The injuries were consistent with "external assault" and there were also signs of a struggle, according to the pathologists.
Kenya's Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also ruled out the possibility that Mr Ojwang might have killed himself.
The agency added that its premilitary findings showed that CCTV systems at the Central Police Station had been interfered with.
Mr Ojwang's father, Meshack Ojwang, has appealed to President William Ruto to help him get justice for his son.
"Help me as a taxpayer. The officers who picked up my son saw our home was humble and assumed we didn't matter," the father said.
In a statement, Ruto said he was shocked by Mr Ojwang's death and ordered a "swift, transparent, and credible" investigation.
"This tragic occurrence, at the hands of the police, is heartbreaking and unacceptable," the president added.
He, however, cautioned the public against making "premature judgments or drawing conclusions that could compromise the process and its outcome".
The Digital Content Creators Association of Kenya paid tribute to Mr Ojwang, saying: "Albert was more than a content creator - he was a voice of the youth, a symbol of resilience, and an embodiment of the dreams and hopes of a generation that uses digital platforms to inspire change. His legacy will not be silenced."
Faith Odhiambo, president of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), said the autopsy report clearly showed that Mr Ojwang had been "tortured" and "brutally murdered" in police custody.
"We will continue to pile pressure until every single officer involved is held personally liable. We won't accept more excuses," Ms Odhiambo said.
Veteran opposition leader Raila Odinga has condemned Mr Ojwang's "horrifying" death, saying it added to a long list of "young and defenceless Kenyans whose lives have been taken too soon, in brutal and senseless circumstances, at the hands of the police".
Mr Kanja earlier said that several officers who were on duty at the time of Mr Ojwang's death had been "interdicted".
Police spokesperson Michael Muchiri told the BBC that this means the officers could not perform their duties, and would receive half their salaries, pending the outcome of investigations.
But human rights groups have demanded more action, terming the blogger's death as a possible attempt to silence the digital community through intimidation and fear.
A crowd of activists, holding placards and chanting "Stop killing us", protested on Monday outside Nairobi City mortuary, where Mr Ojwang's body is being kept.
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