Nairobi, Kenya – Tension and confusion gripped the streets of Nairobi on Wednesday, June 12, during the #JusticeForOjwang protests, as a police officer reportedly tear-gassed himself amid the chaos of crowd dispersal operations.
The protests, sparked by the controversial death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody, drew hundreds of demonstrators to the city center.
Emotions ran high as protestors demanded justice and accountability from authorities. The crowd, largely made up of youth, journalists, and human rights defenders, marched peacefully before riot police began using tear gas to break up the growing gathering near Parliament Road.
In the midst of the mayhem, an unusual and embarrassing moment was caught on camera and widely circulated online: a police officer accidentally deployed a tear gas canister too close to himself, briefly incapacitating his own team.
Eyewitnesses claim the officer fumbled with the canister before it released the gas, enveloping him in the white cloud meant for protestors.
“He was trying to aim at the crowd, but it bounced back and exploded near him. The officer ran coughing and holding his face,” said a protester who witnessed the scene.
The incident quickly became the subject of social media mockery, with the hashtag #TearGasBackfire trending alongside #JusticeForOjwang.
Despite the moment of comic relief, the situation on the ground remained serious. Protesters were adamant in their calls for an independent investigation into Ojwang’s death.
The initial police report claimed he had hit his head on a cell wall, but a second autopsy revealed signs of blunt force trauma, suggesting possible foul play.
Several human rights organizations, including Amnesty International Kenya and the Kenya Human Rights Commission, have condemned the handling of both Ojwang’s case and the protest response. They accused law enforcement of excessive force and called for reforms in police conduct.
“The use of tear gas against peaceful protesters is a violation of their rights,” said a statement from Amnesty International. “The fact that even officers are now falling victim to their own actions shows the level of disorder and unprofessionalism at play.”
As the public outcry continues, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has promised to investigate both the blogger’s death and the conduct of officers during the protest.
Meanwhile, Kenyans on social media continue to demand justice and mock the blundered tear gas moment, saying it symbolized a police system “imploding under its own aggression.”
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— KENYA GOSSIP HUB (@kenyasgossips) June 13, 2025
