By Eddah Waithaka
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has strongly condemned the violent crackdown on protesters during nationwide demonstrations on 17th June 2025, sparked by the murder of Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
The LSK accused police officers of collaborating with armed vigilantes to attack citizens, loot property, and suppress constitutional rights.
Police-Sanctioned Violence Against Protesters
Eyewitnesses and video evidence confirmed that a rogue gang, escorted by police in marked vehicles, brutally assaulted demonstrators and bystanders.
Advocate Ken Ochieng reported being attacked by the gang along Koinange Street after seeing them disembark from a police Landcruiser.
The goons, armed with blunt weapons, targeted peaceful protesters, looted shops, and stole valuables with police officers actively participating in the chaos.
Shocking footage also captured an armed officer shooting an unarmed hawker at point-blank range in Nairobi. The victim remains in critical condition at Kenyatta National Hospital.
LSK Demands Immediate Action
The LSK dismissed the National Police Service’s vague statement on the arrest of the involved officer, demanding full transparency, prosecution, and public disclosure of his identity.
The key demands call for an independent inquiry into police brutality and extrajudicial killings, led by the National Security Council, and for public disclosure of all victims and updates on investigations by the Independent Police Oversight Authority.
They also urge hospitals to enhance transparency in reporting police brutality cases while maintaining patient confidentiality, and they seek the swift prosecution of officers implicated in killings, with the Director of Public Prosecutions treating these cases as national security priorities.
Read More On : https://africawatchnews.co.ke/lsk-condemns-death-of-albert-ojwang-in-police-custody-demands-accountability/
Legal Aid for Arrested Protesters
LSK lawyers assisted detained protesters across the country, including four activists in Mombasa, Francis Auma, Walid Sketty, Mugambi, and Batulie Swale who faced unlawful assembly charges.
Ms. Swale suffered police assault before arrest, despite posing no threat. The LSK secured their release on bail.
“The police’s role is to protect life, not take it,” the LSK stated, warning that unchecked impunity risks irreparable public distrust. The Society vowed to support victims and push for accountability, urging Kenyans to uphold constitutional rights.
“Justice must prevail. May it be our shield and defender.”
Read More Stories At: https://africawatchnews.co.ke/
