Julie Njoki, a young woman has died, just days after being arrested during the Saba Saba protests.
The protests marked Saba Saba Day, a remembrance of Kenya’s 1990 pro-democracy movement.
According to her aunt, Grace Rene, Julie had been following the youth-led protests with hope.
She admired how young people were demanding justice and accountability and decided to join in.
Just a day after her arrest, Julie was taken to the Nanyuki Law Courts where bail was set at Ksh 50,000.
How did Julie Njoki Die?
Since the amount was too high for Julie Njoki, she was returned to custody. And on that fateful night, while still in police custody, she was allegedly beaten until she was unconscious.
Her family claims a police officer nick named Oti is responsible for the assault.
Julie was later rushed to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital, but it was too late. A medical report revealed blunt force trauma to her head. She died from internal bleeding.
Grace Rene, the aunt to Julie Njoki shared the painful news online, saying the family was devastated.
“We lost Julie. She did not deserve to die. No one does. I am broken, angry, and grieving,” she wrote.
She added that the police delayed medical help and tried to cover up the extent of Julie’s injuries. The family says they were kept in the dark and only learned about what happened after it was too late.
Julie’s death has drawn comparisons to other recent cases of police brutality in Kenya, including the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang’. He also died while in custody.
By Vivian K.