LAIKIPIA: The family of July Njoki, who died in police custody, is demanding justice for their deceased relative.

Njoki was arrested in Nanyuki town on July 7 during the Gen Zs Saba Saba demonstration. She was taken into custody and arraigned before a Nanyuki Magistrate Court on July 8.

After her court appearance, she was returned to custody; it was the last time she was seen alive.

“That same night, while in police custody, she was brutally beaten. The very people meant to protect her left her unconscious. She was rushed to the hospital, and the truth was concealed,” posted her aunt, Grace Rene, on her Facebook account.

A post-mortem revealed that Njoki was hit on the head with a blunt object, leading to internal bleeding.

“We pushed for tests. What we found out broke us: she had been hit in the head and was bleeding internally. This critical condition was met with delays, carelessness, and silence. By the time real help came—it was too late,” her aunt further lamented.

Friends and relatives have called for a speedy investigation into the circumstances that led to Njoki’s death.

“The police didn’t just detain her. They didn’t just harass her. They killed her slowly, painfully, and quietly behind the cold, bloodstained walls of a cell in Nanyuki. This is not just a tragedy. This is murder with boots and uniforms,” wrote Denis Ndereva, Laikipia County Youth leader in a press statement.