Unarmed Hawker Shot Dead By Police During #JusticeForOjwangProtests in Nairobi » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya June 17 – A man identified by witnesses as a hawker selling masks to demonstrators was shot dead by police outside Imenti House in Nairobi on Tuesday, during protests demanding justice for blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody last week.

The shooting was captured live on mobile phones by other protesters, with disturbing footage circulating online showing two armed officers confronting the man moments before one of them opened fire. “Damn, he has shot him,” one protester is heard exclaiming in horror as the victim collapses. The two officers are then seen walking away casually.

“This man was just selling water. He was just shot dead at close range as he stood there. This is so wrong!” a visibly distraught woman said, wailing moments after the shooting, underscoring the raw anger that erupted across Nairobi’s CBD following the incident.

Witnesses described the man as unarmed and non-threatening, with no provocation to justify the use of deadly force.

“He was not even protesting. He was simply going about his hustle, selling masks. How do you shoot someone like that?” asked Brian Mwangi, another protester who was nearby when the shooting occurred.

The protests, which had begun peacefully earlier in the day, were marred by clashes with riot police and attacks by suspected hired goons on motorbikes. At least two motorcycles were torched by angry demonstrators who accused the riders of violently robbing protesters with the apparent protection of police.

Several journalists covering the demonstration also reported being harassed and robbed of their equipment and personal belongings. Despite multiple incidents, there was no immediate intervention from police, sparking allegations of state-sanctioned disruption of civic action.

The protestors, many of them youth, were demanding the arrest and prosecution of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat, whose complaint against Ojwang led to his arrest and eventual murder at the Central Police Station. While Lagat announced he had “stepped aside” on Monday, activists say that gesture falls far short of accountability.

“Stepping aside is not justice. It’s not accountability. Eliud Lagat must be arrested and charged with murder,” said Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of VOCAL Africa.

Ojwang, a vocal government critic and teacher, was arrested in Homa Bay on June 6 for allegedly defaming Lagat in social media posts. He was transferred to Nairobi and found dead two days later. While police claimed he had collapsed in his cell, a postmortem showed blunt force trauma to the head, neck compression, and injuries consistent with torture.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has named 17 officers as suspects in Ojwang’s death and arrested three so far, including the Central Police Station OCS. Civilian detainees and a CCTV technician are also under investigation.

Tuesday’s killing of the hawker adds a new layer to growing public outrage over extrajudicial police killings in Kenya, particularly targeting young men since June 25 last year when GenZ held massive protests against the Finance Bill.

“He was not part of the protest. He was just trying to earn a living. Now his life is gone, just like that,” said protester Cynthia Achieng.

As calls for justice swell, demonstrators vowed to return to the streets until all those responsible for both deaths are brought to justice. “We are not leaving this fight,” said student activist Daniel Okoth. “If they think they can silence us with bullets, they are wrong. We will return.”