A second officer was arrested in connection with the death of a teacher in custody in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, the police -Waakhond said on Friday, a case that caused national indignation.
Albert Ojwang, 31, died last weekend after he was arrested to criticize a higher officer online.
The police initially said that Ojwang had been killed himself fatally by beating his head against a wall, but a government pathologist later discovered that the wounds “were unlikely to be inflicted”.
His death has shown anger about a wave of abductions and hard-handed police during anti-governmental protests last year.
Protesters marched on Thursday at parliament, some throw stones and police who fired tear gas.
The watchdog of the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) said in a statement that Samson Talaam, the head of the Central Nairobi police station, where the incident took place, was arrested together with a nameless citizen.
A police officer confirmed to AFP that Talaam was arrested in the western city of Eldoret.
Another officer of the same Nairobi station, agent James Mukhwana, appeared earlier in court in a case under the indictment of the IPOA.
The watchdog asked for three weeks to complete his investigation, and told that the Mukhwana court was present on the night that Ojwang was processed by officers.
Earlier in the week, police spokesman Michael Muchiri said that five officers from active service had been removed to “allow transparent investigation”.
President William Ruto has called for a fast investigation and promised on Friday that the government would “protect citizens against rogue police officers”.
The IPOA recently reported that 18 people had died in police detention in the last four months.
Protesters have called for the resignation of deputy Inspector General Eliud Kipkoech Lagat-de Officer Ojwang was accused of criticized.
Law groups say that dozens of people were illegally detained in the aftermath of last year's meetings, where many are still missing, and others have been arrested for criticism of Ruto and the government.
STR-SRG/JXB
