Nanyuki: Questions after woman arrested during Saba Saba dies in remand

Tension has gripped Nanyuki following the death of a woman who was detained for allegedly participating in last week's Saba Saba protests.

Juliet Njoki Kariuki, 23 years old, had been remanded at the GK Prison remand after she failed to raise a Sh50,000 bond she was slapped with after she was charged with malicious damage to property.

While the family suspects she was assaulted by law enforcement, police and prison authorities claim she died while undergoing treatment at a hospital in Nanyuki.

According to a report by the prison officer in charge, seen by The Standard, the deceased was unwell and was rushed to Nanyuki Referral Hospital before the prison authorities and the relatives reached an agreement to transfer her to a private facility.

The family says a postmortem will be conducted on Monday to assist in the investigations, as it calls for justice.

"We expect the authorities to provide the family with a report on what transpired from the time of her arrest to the time she was taken into prison remand custody," said Kirigo.

Laikipia County Police Commander Zachary Kimani, when sought for comments, said a report from the prison indicates she passed on at the hospital.

"She passed on at the hospital while in care of the prison department," said Kimani.

The recent Saba Saba protests which swept through parts of the country resulted in a significant number of fatalities.

According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), at least 31 people died during the demonstrations that coincided with the 35th anniversary of the 1990 Saba Saba pro-democracy uprising.

This figure represents the highest single-day death toll since the current wave of anti-government protests began earlier this year.

In addition to the confirmed deaths, the KNCHR reported 107 injuries and over 500 arrests across various counties where clashes occurred between protesters and police.

Human rights organizations have condemned the excessive use of force by law enforcement during the protests, calling for accountability from all responsible parties.