Albert Ojwang was not known to many people until the reports emerged that he had died in a police cell on 9 June, 2025.
More puzzling is that he died about 400 kilometers away from his rural home in Homa-Bay County at only 31 years.
Ojwang was at the peak of his teaching career when he died. He was teaching Kiswahili, history and Christian Religious Education at a school in Taita Taveta.
Owing to his thirst to learn he embraced social media, particularly X where those in the know say he used to express his opinions on the platform touching on social issues, politics and about his career.
If only he had known that it is through the platform that he would meet his death leaving behind a wife and a child.
The father of one doubling as a critique blogger, seemed to have been a thorn in flesh to many. His death however sparked outrage and widespread protests countrywide.
At an unknown date, Ojwang was said to have shared an offensive post against Kenya’s Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.
It was on the backdrop that sleuths were dispatched from Nairobi all the way to Homa-Bay to track and arrest Ojwang after the Deputy Inspector General made a complaint.
On June, 7, 2025 Ojwang was arrested at his home in Homa Bay and transferred to Nairobi Central Police station where he was procedurally booked in and later died.
Ojwang’, according to the initial reports by the authorities, hit himself against the cell wall, claims which was watered down by a forensic autopsy which was conducted by government pathologist Dr, Benard Midia in presence of other independent pathologists.
The unanimous findings indicated that Ojwang had suffered injuries which were consistent with blunt force trauma to the head, neck compression, and widespread bruising.
This called for a proper scrutiny into the accounts of what had transpired on the fateful day. Unexpectedly, the CCTV footage which could have revealed what exactly happened had been tampered with. Making it hard for the IPOA to retrieve the clip. The disks had been formatted and DVR overwritten
Days later, an officer who was on duty on the fateful night was arrested; in his confession the constable stated that he had received orders from his bosses directing him to check in to the cell and find inmates who had overstayed to take care of Ojwang.
Additionally, he revealed that the deceased was only to be punished and not to be killed.
An inquest into the death of Ojwang’ kicked off at the senate with the interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and and the Directorate of Criminal investigation boss Mohamed Amin facing tough questions.
In an attempt to establish the cause of Ojwang’s death Independent Policing Oversight Authority, commenced investigations with several police officers being detained for questioning in connection to the killing of teacher Ojwang.
In its findings, the authority ruled out a suicide. It was later established that by the time Ojwang was placed in custody, CCTV cameras in one of the offices belonging to a senior officer had been disabled.
Meanwhile, the mounting pressure, public outcry and the protest held countrywide on June 17, 2025 demanding the resignation of the DIG, Eliud Lagat.
He later voluntarily stepped aside from his duties pending the investigation but resumed duties after public outcry subsided.
While the matter is still in court, some experts argue that Ojwang’s death exposed the dirty secrets of Kenya police service.
“Albert Ojwang case portrayed the ugly part of police officers in Kenya, many questions remain unanswered,” Albert Ndubi, a lawyer in Nairobi said.
He added, ” first, the law is clear, when someone is arrested they are booked in a polcie station which is within that area, for Ojwang he was transferred illegally to Nairobi,”
According to the lawyer, it could have been because he posted something offensive against a senior police officer who wields power.
“Kenyans stood up and protested leading to the arrest of some suspects who contributed to the death of Ojwang but life is precious. His father cried in pain after losing the only son but he the State later paid him for the loss of his son, a move that irked some Kenyans,” the lawyer said
Pointing out, “To me, the wheels of justice were slowed when Ojwang was laid to rest and his family staying far away in Nairobi where the courts are located. The case might take twenty years to be concluded, that is how things work in Kenya,”
