Kenyan Blogger Was Hit and Assaulted to Death, Autopsy Reveals

[Albert] Ojwang, a digital creator who microblogged on X and Facebook on topical political and social issues, was arrested in Homa Bay, a town in western Kenya, on Friday. The 31-year-old, who is also said to be a teacher, was detained over a post on X that was allegedly critical of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat. He was subsequently transferred over 350km to the capital, Nairobi, and booked into the Central Police Station on Saturday. Police said he was later found unconscious in his cell with self-inflicted injuries. But an autopsy, conducted by five pathologists who released a unanimous report, revealed that Mr Ojwang had severe head injuries and suffered neck compression and multiple soft tissue trauma. Dr Midia, who led the team of pathologists, said that Mr Ojwang did not hit himself on the wall, as police had said in a statement on Sunday. He said if Mr Ojwang had done this, the pattern of injuries would have been different, and frontal bleeding on the head would be seen…”There were also multiple soft tissue injuries spread all over the body, including the head, neck, upper limbs and the trunk and lower limbs… these were injuries that were externally inflicted,” he added. The injuries were consistent with “external assault” and there were also signs of a struggle, according to the pathologists. Kenya’s Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has also ruled out the possibility that Mr Ojwang might have killed himself. The agency added that its premilitary findings showed that CCTV systems at the Central Police Station had been interfered with. (BBC)