#JusticeForNjoki: Outrage as Mother of Two Dies After Saba Saba Arrest

A family is seeking justice after their daughter died in police custody following her arrest during the Saba Saba protests in Nanyuki, Laikipia County.

Julia Njoki, a 32-year-old mother of two, was detained at Nanyuki Police Station before being arraigned at the Nanyuki Law Courts, where her bail was set at KSh 50,000—an amount her family struggled to raise.

On Wednesday, she collapsed in her cell at the Nanyuki GK Prisons and was rushed to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.

Friends and relatives say Njoki was in high spirits during her arrest and while negotiating bail, only to die shortly afterward.

A doctor, speaking on condition of anonymity, said Njoki succumbed to severe internal injuries.

Human rights groups and activists have accused the police of extrajudicial killings, citing a pattern of custodial deaths during protests.

While Njoki’s case was not explicitly mentioned in its initial report, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) condemned the “excessive use of force” and “disregard for human rights” by security forces.

News of Njoki’s death has sparked widespread condemnation, with the hashtag #JusticeForJuliaNjoki trending on X (formerly Twitter).

One post read: “Julia Njoki was arrested for exercising her democratic right. Now she’s dead. How many more must die before police are held accountable?”

Another user demanded: “IPOA must investigate this murder!”

Njoki’s death has intensified demands for police accountability and an end to impunity within law enforcement.

Her family is demanding answers, while civil society groups vow to pursue justice through legal avenues.

The Independent Medico Legal Unit IMLU has expressed concern and interest to pick up the matter in seeking justice.