By Brian Okoth

Kenya's Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja has suspended several police officers attached to a station in the capital Nairobi after a suspect died in mysterious circumstances while in police custody.

Albert Ojwang, who was arrested in the Western Kenya county of Homa Bay on Saturday, had been booked at the Central Police Station, and was declared dead a few hours later.

Authorities alleged he had had made "false publication" about a high-ranking police officer.

Initially, police said in a statement that Ojwang had hit his head on the wall, and that he died upon arrival to Mbagathi Hospital in Nairobi.

Police statement contradictions

In a follow-up statement early Monday, police said Ojwang's "tragic death" occurred "while in police custody."

In a third, and most recent statement, police chief Kanja said Ojwang was "found unconscious during a routine cell inspection."

There was no mention of visible head injuries as alluded to in the first police statement.

Kanja said that to ensure "thorough, impartial and expeditious investigation", he has ordered the interdiction of the "Officer Commanding Station (OCS), Central Police Station; the Duty Officer on duty during the night in question; the Cell Sentry on duty at the time; all officers who were on duty at the Report Office that night, and any other officer found to have been on duty or otherwise involved during the incident."

Calls for independent investigations

Kenyans have rallied on social media to reject the National Police Service's account of events leading to Ojwang's death, strongly expressing suspicion that law enforcement officers were involved in the suspect's death.

International human rights organisation, Amnesty International, said in a statement on Sunday: "No Kenyan should lose their life in police custody, and those entrusted with their protection."

Amnesty called for an independent investigation into Ojwang's death, saying that "any officers found responsible must be held fully accountable in accordance with the law."

Kenya's police service said that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IP0A) had launched an investigation into Ojwang's death.

President Ruto had vowed an end to police excesses

On Monday, IPOA said it had conducted "a fact-finding mission at Central Police Station", and it had also "dispatched a Rapid Response Team to the City Mortuary, where Ojwang's post-mortem is scheduled."

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.

Kenyans had accused the administration of President Ruto of using the police service to crack down on dissent.

In the mid-2024 anti-tax protests in Kenya, at least 60 people were killed, with the deaths attributed to police actions.