• Under Articles 243 and 244 of the Constitution, Kenyans have the right to protection by the police. These articles establish that the National Police Service, which includes the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service, has the duty to maintain law and order, preserve peace, protect life and property, prevent and detect crime, and enforce laws.

In any state, the police have the right to protect its citizens. However, the recent death of blogger Albert Ojwang has sparked a conversation in Kenya about citizen safety, with many feeling that this issue has not been prioritized.

Thirty-one-year-old Albert Ojwang died while in police custody after being arrested following a complaint regarding a social media post that criticized a senior police official.

On June 9, 2025, the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja announced that Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat lodged a defamation complaint against Ojwang, leading to a swift investigation.

Questions remain about who was involved in his death and the circumstances surrounding it, despite him being in police custody.

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Meanwhile, in Nakuru, chaos erupted on June 9, 2025, after a man was shot by police following a confrontation. Residents have condemned the killings, labeling them as part of a pattern of police violence.

These incidents exemplify concerns regarding police treatment of civilians, which citizens describe as "unjust." In the online space, particularly on X, users are calling for accountability and raising questions about the current state of the relationship between the police and citizens. Some are asking whether this relationship has been irreparably damaged.

@Ashleykattes: "Are the police now the enemy? When did we get here?"

@bmmalique: "We are no longer safe... We have never been safe..."

@ruthchelah: "We’re watching lives be taken, families shattered, and still the system stays the same. It's a reflection of a system that keeps failing its people. We can’t look away."

Under Articles 243 and 244 of the Constitution, Kenyans have the right to protection by the police. These articles establish that the National Police Service, which includes the Kenya Police Service and the Administration Police Service, has the duty to maintain law and order, preserve peace, protect life and property, prevent and detect crime, and enforce laws.