The family of Julia Njoki, who allegedly died while in police custody, has broken its silence, calling for justice and a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death.
Njoki, a 24-year-old mother of two, reportedly died from blunt force trauma sustained while in custody. According to her family, she was arrested on July 7, 2025, during the Saba Saba protests alongside other demonstrators.
She was arraigned in court the following day, July 8, 2025, and charged with participating in violent protests in Nanyuki. All those arrested were granted a cash bail of Ksh 50,000 each.
“The police vehicle came and arrested Julie along with others. They were taken to the police station, where they spent the night before being presented in court the next morning,” Njoki’s grandmother told the press.
Family Claims Julia Njoki Died from Blunt Force Injury
Although the other protesters managed to raise the bail money, Njoki was unable to raise the amount and was consequently remanded at Nanyuki Women’s Prison.
It is during her time in remand that Njoki is believed to have suffered injuries from blunt force trauma. Reports indicate she collapsed while in custody and was rushed to Nanyuki Referral Hospital before being transferred to Cottage Hospital, where she was pronounced dead.
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The family insists that Njoki was in good health at the time of her arrest and questions the circumstances that led to her sudden demise.
“They were given a bond of Ksh 50,000 each. Gen Z agreed to help pay, and we did. Julie was healthy, but since she didn’t have the cash, she had to be remanded,” her grandmother said.
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The family is now demanding justice and has called for an independent investigation into her untimely death.
National Police Service (NPS) spokesperson Michael Muchiri confirmed Njoki’s death but clarified that she died while in remand at Nanyuki Women’s Prison, not in police custody as has been widely claimed on social media.
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Muchiri stated that Njoki was arrested on July 7, arraigned on July 8, and charged with malicious damage to property before being remanded to prison, where she later died.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR), at least 38 people were killed and 130 injured during the Saba Saba protests. The majority of those killed were youth under the age of 25, including two children. Postmortem reports show that 14 out of 15 victims died from gunshot wounds.
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