Six protesters were arrested on Monday, August 17, after staging demonstrations outside Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja’s office at Jogoo House ‘B’ in Nairobi.
The protesters arrived at the police headquarters carrying placards and three coffins to protest what they described as the rising number of deaths involving Kenyans arrested and detained by police.
They demanded justice for victims of alleged police brutality and called for Kanja to resign over concerns surrounding deaths in police custody.
Protest outside IG Kanja’s office: Courtesy.
The activists also raised concerns about the growing presence of armed groups and alleged abductions of Kenyans by police officers.
The demonstration was cut short after uniformed and plainclothes officers moved in and arrested the protesters shortly after they tossed the coffins over the Jogoo House gate.
The activists continued protesting as they were arrested and taken into a waiting police Land Cruiser.
They were subsequently transported to Central Police Station, where they were expected to be booked and processed before being taken to court.
Among those arrested were activist Julius Kamau and Jomo Kenyatta lookalike Michael Ngigi.
The demonstration comes amid growing concern over the deaths of suspects while in police custody.
Two such deaths have been reported in the past month, adding to renewed calls for investigations into the circumstances surrounding deaths in detention.
Last week, Gideon Makau died while being held at Kilungu Police Station. Makau had been arrested over alleged possession of a machete before he was found dead inside his cell.
Police officers at the station reportedly said Makau had died by suicide after allegedly using his trousers to hang himself.
However, his family has disputed the explanation, raising questions over the circumstances surrounding his death and calling for further investigations.
