When appearing before the parliament last Wednesday, police chief Douglas Kanja was forced to retract an earlier police statement that said that Mr Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and rushed to hospital, where he died of head injuries sustained after he banged his own head against a wall.

Kenya’s deputy police chief has stepped aside as investigations into the death of a blogger while in custody continue.

Outrage over the death of a Kenyan teacher and activist in police custody sparked protests in the capital Nairobi this week after doctors refuted a police claim that he had died in his cell from a self-inflicted head injury.