NAIROBI, Kenya – What began as a peaceful protest demanding justice for the late teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang took a different turn on Tuesday, June 17, after a man was shot outside Imenti House — at close range by a police officer.
Witnesses identified the victim as a hawker who had been selling face masks to protesters just moments before he was shot.
The incident unfolded in broad daylight in Nairobi’s CBD, just as tensions between demonstrators and anti-riot police hit a boiling point.
The shooting sent shockwaves through the crowd and social media, where graphic videos circulated showing the man as demonstrators screamed in disbelief.
Many are now questioning whether law enforcement is deliberately escalating violence in what has been a largely non-violent movement.
The victim’s shooting has intensified national anger over police brutality and further complicated the government’s narrative that the protests are a threat to public order.
While police have yet to comment on the incident, civil rights groups are demanding accountability — not just for this shooting, but for a growing pattern of alleged abuses tied to Ojwang’s death in custody.
Calls are mounting for independent investigations into both Ojwang’s death and the latest police shooting, with activists urging the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to intervene.
As more demonstrators flood the streets, many now carry not just placards, but deep fear — and rising defiance.
