Kenyan President William Ruto on Wednesday condemned the death of a man while in police custody that has sparked widespread anger.
"This tragic occurrence, at the hands of police, is heartbreaking and unacceptable," Ruto said of the death of Albert Ojwang, 31, over the weekend, urging a swift investigation.
It was the president’s first public statement in the death that has sparked protests and widespread anger.
Medical examiners said on Tuesday that suicide was unlikely in the death of Ojwang, contradicting police claims that he died in his cell after hitting his own head against the wall.
‘Premature judgements’
In a statement, Ruto urged the public to refrain from "making premature judgments or drawing conclusions" that could compromise investigations.
“I therefore call on the National Police Service to fully cooperate with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority and to take every necessary measure to facilitate a swift, transparent, and credible investigation into the death of Ojwang,” the president said.
Ojwang, a blogger on X and Facebook, was arrested over posts on social media accusing a senior police officer of corruption
He was arrested in western Kenya but transferred more than 250 kilometres (150 miles) to Nairobi, "without proper orders from the court", the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) said on Monday.
Police officers suspended
"The cause of death is very clear; head injury, neck compression and we also have other injuries spread all over the body that are pointing towards assault," government pathologist Bernard Midia had told reporters.
Protesters have described the police deputy inspector general as "the main suspect".
Five officers have been removed from active duty to "allow for transparent investigations", police have said.
In recent times, Kenyan police have come under heavy criticism over their alleged involvement in human rights violations, including conducting abductions and extrajudicial excesses.
President William Ruto, who acknowledged receiving concerns about police officers' unconstitutional actions, vowed an end to extrajudicial actions by police officers.
