Nanyuki town is under tight security today as residents stage protests over the death of 24-year-old Julia Wangui Kariuki while in police custody.
Photos and videos circulating online show large deployments of heavily armed police officers in the town, appearing prepared for protests.
In one video, police trucks are seen patrolling Lumumba Road in the central business district, escorted by a convoy of security vehicles.
Residents of Likii have vowed to demonstrate, demanding justice for Wangui, who reportedly died under unclear circumstances last Friday.
She had been arrested during the Saba Saba protests and initially held at the Nanyuki Police Station before being transferred to the Nanyuki Women's Prison after failing to raise court bail.
Nanyuki today!!! We've become a police state!! pic.twitter.com/hDeACXY46p
- Shikoh Kihika (@Shikohkihika) July 14, 2025
According to the Kenya Prisons Service (KPS), Wangui, fondly known as Njoki, was admitted to the prison on the evening of July 8 along with four other women.
She was processed, served a meal, and allocated accommodation. However, less than two hours later, she began experiencing dizziness, headaches, and stomach pains.
"On probing, she disclosed that she had been beaten during the skirmishes of 7th July 2025," said Dr. Chrisantus Makokha, Head of Communications at the Kenya Prisons Service. The statement did not clarify whether she was assaulted by officers or injured during the protests.
KPS stated that Wangui was promptly treated and referred to Nanyuki Teaching and Referral Hospital, where she was admitted at 9:10pm.
Her condition worsened by morning, prompting her transfer for a CT scan at Cottage Hospital, accompanied by her father, Mr. Kariuki.
She was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit at Cottage Hospital on the night of July 9 at 11:00pm.
Despite undergoing surgery the following morning, she passed away in the early hours of July 12, with her family by her side.
Her death has now sparked public outrage, coming shortly after the emotional burial of Boniface Kariuki, a mask vendor who was shot during the June 25 protests.
According to the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights, the ongoing anti-government demonstrations have so far claimed at least 31 lives and led to over 532 arrests.