Susan Kirigo, grandmother to the late Julia Wangai, on Monday demanded justice for her granddaughter, who died while in the custody of the Kenya Prisons Service.
The National Police Service (NPS) has denied claims circulating on social media that Wangai, who was arrested during the Saba Saba protests, died in a police cell.
Wangai, 24, died under unclear circumstances on July 11, just hours after being admitted to the Nanyuki Women’s Prison.
“Justice for Julie, kill all of us,” Kirigo shouted as she held a twig in one hand and her granddaughter’s photo in another.
“Whoever killed my granddaughter, God in heaven is going to come back to your children, may they die like Julie, or more than Julie. The curse from heaven will come down and you will die,” she added emotionally.
Why are you killing children, yet you were born to women? Why kill a young girl using a ‘rungu’? Why kill a young girl like my granddaughter? Even more painfully by the use of a ‘rungu’ (wooden stick),” she lamented.
NPS spokesperson Michael Muchiri confirmed Wangai’s death but clarified that she passed away while in remand at Nanyuki Women’s Prison, not in police custody as claimed in online reports.
Muchiri explained that Wangai had been arraigned in court on July 8 and charged with malicious damage to property.
After pleading to the charges, she was remanded to the Nanyuki Women’s Prison.
While in remand, she reportedly fell ill and was admitted to Nanyuki Cottage Hospital, where she later passed away.
“There are misleading reports circulating online alleging that Julia Wangai collapsed and died in a police cell after suffering multiple head injuries from an alleged assault by officers. We wish to clarify that this is false,” Muchiri said.
He added that more details regarding the circumstances of her death would be communicated in due course.
Wangai’s death comes after another high-profile case that drew national outrage—the death of Albert Ojwang, a teacher and blogger, who died in a police cell at Central Police Station in Nairobi.