Nairobi — "Justice for Albert Ojwang!" is the slogan chanted by protesters in downtown Nairobi, demanding an investigation into the death of Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and influencer who died while in police custody on June 8.
Ojwang was arrested on June 6 at his family home in Kakot, Homa Bay County, for a social media post that allegedly defamed Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat. He was taken more than 350 kilometers away to Nairobi Central Police Station and charged with "false publication" under Kenya's cybercrime laws. On June 8, Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell during a routine inspection, apparently with head injuries. Police claimed he committed suicide by repeatedly hitting himself against a wall, and he was pronounced dead upon arrival at Mbagathi Hospital.
However, the family's lawyer reported obvious signs of violence, including head trauma, bruises, and bleeding from the nose and mouth, which contradict the official version. Kenyan President William Ruto publicly acknowledged on June 11 that Ojwang died "at the hands of the police," thus contradicting the initial official account. According to an investigation by The Star newspaper, after his arrest, Ojwang was taken from his cell by officers during the night of June 7-8 and taken to Karura Forest, where he was tortured to death. He was then taken back to his cell, nearly lifeless, where he was pronounced dead the next day. According to the investigation, the recordings from the cell's CCTV system were manipulated.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
Even before the President's statement, the Inspectorate General of Police had already suspended six officers from Nairobi Central Police Station as a precautionary measure while they wait to clarify the exact circumstances of Ojwang's death. The blogger's murder has shocked public opinion, especially among young people, and has been accompanied by disinformation campaigns that have implicated major religious denominations in the country. One of these affected the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), with the dissemination on social media of a false statement attributed to its General Secretariat, dated June 9.
The text called on young people to remain calm and seek justice through legal means. Official sources from the Catholic Church contacted by Fides have officially denied the authorship of the statement. Another message falsely attributed to Anglican Archbishop Jackson Ole Sapit, Primate of the Anglican Church of Kenya, has also been denied by the person himself: " We have noted a post circulating online concerning the tragic death of Albert Ojwang, a young Kenyan. I must clarify that the statements attributed to me in that post were not made by me. While I remain unwavering in my commitment to truth, justice, and the dignity of our young people, I do not condone the misrepresentation of my words for any agenda, however well-intentioned."
Ojwang's death comes amid a climate of strong social tension in the country, following the protests led by the so-called Generation Z in 2024 (see Fides, 1/7/2024), which were violently repressed by the authorities, resulting in at least 60 deaths.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
