Kenya's police service says that it has arrested its officer, who was caught on video shooting an unarmed civilian during protests in the country's capital Nairobi on Tuesday.

Police said the victim was "receiving medical attention." Earlier media reports suggested that the victim had died.

The protests had been organised to call for accountability in the police service after a 31-year-old teacher and social media figure, Albert Ojwang, was killed in police custody in Nairobi on June 7.

Ojwang had been arrested on allegations of "falsely" linking Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat with corruption.

Calls for deputy police chief to resign

Lagat has since temporarily stepped down to allow impartial investigations into Ojwang's death.

On Tuesday, several people convened in Nairobi city centre to protest, seeking Lagat's resignation and possible prosecution over Ojwang's death.

James Mukhwana, a police officer who was arrested over Ojwang's death, told Kenya's police watchdog, IPOA, that Lagat had ordered that Ojwang be "disciplined" while in custody.

During the protests in Kenya's capital on Tuesday, a police officer was seen pointing his firearm at an unarmed civilian and firing a shot from close range.

'Noted with great concern'

The victim fell to the ground and the uniformed officer, who was wearing a face mask, thereafter turned and walked away in the presence of another officer.

Kenya's National Police Service (NPS) said in a statement on Tuesday that it had "noted with great concern, an incident involving shooting of an unarmed civilian by a police officer using an anti-riot shotgun, within the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) on June 17, 2025."

The police statement added: "The victim was taken to hospital and he is receiving medical attention."

"Following this incident, the Inspector-General National Police Service (Douglas Kanja) ordered for the immediate arrest and arraignment in court of the involved officer. The said-police officer has since been arrested," police said in their statement.

Goons infiltrate protests

"Furthermore, NPS has noted a group of goons armed with crude weapons, in today's protests within the CBD. 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."