Kenyan police officer in charge of cell where blogger died arrested after protests

NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenyan authorities on Friday arrested a senior police officer responsible for the cell where a blogger died, leading to widespread protests in the capital, Nairobi, that left dozens injured.

Samson Talam, the officer commanding the central police station in Nairobi was arrested on Friday, and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority said that CCTV at the police station had been tampered with and its disks formatted a day after the blogger died inside the cell.

Albert Ojwang, 31, was arrested on June 6 in western Kenya and driven 400 kilometers (248 miles) to Nairobi for what police said was publishing “false information” about a top police official on social media. He died two days later at the police cell and police said he hit his head against the wall. A pathologist’s report refuted the police account, stating that the deceased had “head injury, neck compression and other injuries spread all over the body that are pointing towards assault.”

The arrest comes a day after the detention of another officer from the central police station. James Mukhwana was arrested Thursday in connection with the blogger's death. He appeared in court Friday, where detectives requested for more time for their investigation.

Ojwang’s death led to protests on Thursday that turned violent as police clashed with protesters injuring several and leading a trail of property destruction.

President William Ruto on Friday said his government would “protect citizens from rogue police officers” and he called for investigations into Ojwang’s death.

Kenya has a history of police brutality and Ruto had vowed to end brutality and extrajudicial killings.

The blogger’s death comes almost a year after several activists and protesters were killed and abducted by Kenyan police during finance bill protests. The rallies led to calls for the removal of Ruto, who has been criticized for what some say is his authoritarian streak.

Riot police uses tear gas Thursday June 12, 2025 to disperse demonstrators during a protest over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody Nairobi, Kenya. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Riot police use water canons to disperse demonstrators during a protest over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody Thursday June 12, 2025, Nairobi, Kenya. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A woman overwhelmed by tear gas is carried away during a protest over the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody, Thursday June 12, 2025, Nairobi, Kenya. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Riot police officers walk past cars set on fire during a protest over the death in police custody of blogger Albert Ojwang, in Nairoby, Kenya, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

A protester scuffles with the police during a protest over the death in police custody of blogger Albert Ojwang, in Nairobi, Kenya, Thursday, June 12, 2025. (AP Photo/Andrew Kasuku)

Wildfires have forced evacuations for visitors and staff at two national parks in the U.S. West as the summer monsoon season brings increased lightning to the arid region.

Black Canyon of the Gunnison National Park, about 260 miles (418 kilometers) southwest of Denver, closed until further notice after lighting strikes sparked blazes on both rims, park officials said. The Grand Canyon’s North Rim in Arizona also closed because of a wildfire on adjacent Bureau of Land Management land near Jacob Lake.

The wildfire on Black Canyon of the Gunnison's South Rim ignited Thursday and has burned 2.5 square miles (6.5 square kilometers), with no containment of the perimeter. The smaller blaze on the North Rim was out as of Friday, according to an incident map.

The conditions there have been ripe for wildfires with hot temperatures, low humidity, gusty winds and dry vegetation, the park said, adding that weather remained a concern Friday.

Fire danger has ramped up in the West as drought conditions have worsened across several states. While monsoon season can drop much-needed moisture on the area from June through September, it can also bring dust storms and thunderstorms like those that ignited the wildfires in the Colorado and Arizona parks.

Firefighters saved Black Canyon's visitor center along the South Rim by removing dry vegetation and coating the building in a layer of protective material, fire officials said. Small aircrafts from Colorado’s Division of Fire Prevention and Control dropped retardant from the sky Friday while ground crews tried to contain the burn. Some park equipment and sheds were damaged, the park said.

In Arizona, the Coconino County Sheriff's Office said it helped evacuate people from an area north of Jacob Lake and campers in the Kaibab National Forest nearby. The fire began Wednesday evening after a thunderstorm moved through the area, fire officials said.

“Gusty and erratic winds” spread the flames Thursday afternoon and inhibited firefighters from containing the blaze, Bureau of Land Management spokesperson Rachel Carnahan said. By Friday afternoon, it had burned about 13.5 square miles (35 square kilometers) with zero containment, and dark clouds of smoke had settled over the Grand Canyon.

About 500 visitors who planned to stay in the park overnight were evacuated Thursday night, Grand Canyon spokesperson Joëlle Baird said. Employees and residents on the North Rim were told to shelter in place.

Melinda Rich, whose family owns the 102-year-old Jacob Lake Inn known for its homemade cookies, evacuated 75 employees Thursday and guests in about 35 cabins that were rented out at the time.

“It’s tricky for us because we were half booked and now we have to refund all of those things, and that’s a challenge financially for us,” she said. “But you also feel bad for the people who, this might be their first time at the canyon.”

Some guests had just checked in when the inn got a call from the sheriff’s office saying everyone should leave immediately, Rich said. The staff began calling and emailing guests who were out exploring, she said.

Even as smoke rose around them, the evacuation felt precautionary because of the wind direction, Rich said. In 2020, a wildfire came within 20 feet (6 meters) of some cabins.

“We had one of those incredible, miraculous moments, a lot of prayers and then wind adjusted just enough that it passed us by about a mile,” she said.

Associated Press writer Felicia Fonseca contributed reporting from Flagstaff, Arizona.

This photo provided by the National Parks Service shows smoke from wildfires in the Black Canyon of Gunnison National Park in Colorado on Thursday, July 10, 2025, after high temperatures, very low humidity, gusty winds, and very dry vegetation across the region led to extreme fire danger. (NPS via AP)

In this photo provided by the National Park Service, smoke from wildfires settles over Grand Canyon National Park in northern Arizona on Friday, July 11, 2025. (Joelle Baird/Grand Canyon National Park)