Tension gripped Nanyuki town on Monday, July 14, as angry residents poured into the streets demanding justice for Julie Njoki, a 24-year-old woman who died after alleged assault while in police custody.
Njoki had been arrested on Monday, July 7, during the Saba Saba demonstrations and was detained at the Nanyuki Police Station.
According to Njoki's family, it was during her time at the police station when she was reportedly beaten and left unconscious.
"Julie was arrested in Nanyuki, a town I once thought was peaceful. The next day, she was taken to the Nanyuki Law Court, and judgment was passed.
"That same night, in police custody, she was brutally beaten. The same people who are meant to protect her left her unconscious,” Njoki's aunt said.
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Come Monday, residents of the town, including Njoki's grandmother Susan Kirigo, came out to demand justice for the fallen young woman.
"God in heaven will come for your children. You killed my grandchild for nothing? You killed her with your battons. You will suffer the same fate together with your children," Kirigo said in a chilling message to authorities.
Crowds of demonstrators marched through Nanyuki town carrying placards and chanting slogans.
The demonstrations, though largely peaceful, were marked by heightened tension as heavily armed police officers monitored the situation closely.
One protester condemned the intimidating police presence, saying it only added to the community’s anger and grief.
"We are here to call for justice [following Julie's death], but as you can see behind us, security officers are here to block us from conducting peaceful demonstrations and mourning with the family of those who lost their loved ones.
"We are seeking justice because if we don't demand justice collectively, we will all be killed," she said.
