Meshack Ojwang said: “My son died like an animal.
His only son, Albert Ojwang, was arrested the day before in their Kakoth village near Homa Bay while having lunch with his wife Nevnina Onyango on Saturday, June 7, 2025.
One of the five arrests told the family that he was accused of insulting the police boss on social media.
“We asked the police if they wanted to be safe because we’ve heard stories of some people being kidnapped,” Ms Onyango told the BBC. “They assured us that even they gave us their phone numbers.”
When Mr Ojwang was booked at the Central Police Station at around 21:30 p.m. on Saturday, he was allowed to call his wife.
“When we talked, he was like, ‘Because I’m stressed, don’t worry. I’ll see you soon.’ I think that’s his last word,” she said.
But his father was worried and decided to follow his son, taking a 350km (220mile) journey in Nairobi – carrying the deed of land ownership for the family in case of bail.
He said he arrived at the station early Sunday morning and after waiting for several hours, he was eventually told his son died of self-injured wounds.
He stood next to the lawyer in disbelief, describing seeing his body: “He bleeded from his nose, had a bruised torso and face.
Albert Ojwang’s parents are shocked by the loss of their only child [Hassan Lali / BBC]
His candid interview in heartfelt Swahili, refusing to remain silent, keeping Kenyans and the #JusticeForalbertoJwang hashtag immediately started the trend and demanded an investigation.
Kenya has a history of police brutality, but the subsequent revelation shocked the country – not only the details about the death of police training teachers turned into bloggers, but with it allegations of police lies and lies.
The Parliament even called on the Chief of Police, Director of the Criminal Investigation Agency (DCI), Minister of Internal Affairs and the Independent Police Supervisory Authority (IPOA) to conduct inquiries.
It’s hard to imagine why a 31-year-old Bachelor’s Degree graduate might die.
Apparently, his father once worked in a quarry in southeast Kenya, and he was proud that his son did a good job from such a humble beginning.
“He will never hurt anyone online or physically,” David Bwakali, a former teaching colleague at Kituma Middle School, told Kenya’s Daily National.
Passionate Manchester United football fan Albert Ojwang teaches religious studies, history and rugby at the school in Mwatate, southeastern Kenya.
He only stayed there for a few terms last year because he was not hired by a government contract but served privately through the school’s management committee.
This is very common for new teachers – he has long graduated from Powani University – this arrangement is often not well paid.
Mr Bwakali said his friend had recently contacted him to discuss how he hoped to take the position of government teacher.
It was an exciting time for Mr Ojwang, who lives in the coastal town of Malindi, as he and his 26-year-old wife returned to his home in his countryside Homa Homa Bay for a long visit so she could be properly introduced to his family.
They have arrived in April, according to the custom of Lu’s.
Part of these traditions involves renovating the mats of his “Simba” or the bachelor in his father’s homestead to become a home suitable for the couple and their three-year-old son George.
He is helping his parents by doing some farm work on the family’s two acres of land – he and his wife are planning for the future with Ms. Onyango’s upcoming health workers.
Mr. Ojwang also attempts to make money as a digital content creator – as part of a campaign by young people to post on social media about political and social issues.
This is what caused his death.
“I didn’t believe this until I saw his body in the morgue… it was heartbreaking.”
It is not clear how many followers he has on X deleted his account after being arrested, but influencers say he has a strong presence online and often participates in social media campaigns.
He used a pseudonym – Kenyans are not uncommon online given the recent crackdown on youth dissent.
The activists linked his death to a broader trend of police impunity, citing the unresolved deaths of more than 60 people in the last year’s anti-tax protests.
Muslim Human Rights (Muhuri) director and famous human rights defense lawyer Khelef Khalifa told local media.
But what is unusual about the case of Albert Ojwang is the rapid and detailed investigation. In addition, two days at the televised parliamentary hearing meant that the Kenyans themselves heard the disturbing details that led to his death.
Police Chief Douglas Kanja was forced to withdraw an earlier police statement when he appeared in front of parliament, which said Mr Ojwang was unconscious in his cell and rushed to the hospital where he died of head injuries after hitting his head.
IPOA’s post-mortem examination and unusually rapid investigation ruled out the possibility of bloggers committing suicide.
The police chief apologized and blamed the “misinformation” of his junior.
He went on to say that Mr Ojawan’s arrest was a result of a defamatory online post, whose agent Eliud Lagat later resigned. Mr. Lagart said he was a “good and conscious mind” to his responsibility as deputy police chief in “good and conscious mind” and he would provide any support for the investigation into the death of the blogger.
According to a statement issued by Kanji to Parliament, the post on X said Mr. Lagart carried out corruption operations in the police station by placing trusted officials in specific departments and transferring them to “control revenue and intelligence flows.”
Hanga’s statement details a variety of posts, including one claiming that Mr. Lagart is on the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) and his photos and his photos and phrase “Mafia”.
According to a parliamentary statement by the Chief of Police, Mr. Lagart filed a complaint about the post to the DCI on June 4. The next day, when EACC confirmed that no investigation into Mr. Lagart was conducted, police continued to be considered a “serious case” under the Computer Abuse and Cybercrime Act.
Mr Hanga said the Communications Authority has contacted two accounts related to the post. This led to the June 5 arrest, where he revealed that he and four others were involved in the campaign – one of which was Albert Ojwang.
Two days later, police tracked Mr. Ojwang to his hometown in western Kenya.
Albert Ojwang’s death sparked demonstrations and sparked anger over police response to anti-tax protests [AFP/Getty Images]
In her testimony, IPOA Vice Chairman Anne Wanjiku provided some shocking details about the last hours of Mr. Ojwang’s life.
She said two witnesses were in a nearby cell, telling the public announcement incident that they heard screams the night he died.
IPOA investigators claim a technician was paid $30 (£22) to disconnect the station’s CCTV connection.
After the parliamentary hearing, two police officers were involved in the death of Ojwang.
The IPOA, which filed the lawsuit, said junior official PC James Mukhwana told investigators that the intention was to “discipline” Mr Ojwang, not to kill him.
He said Mr. Lagart contacted Samson Talam, the head of the station, through the order and gave officers $15 to pay for the two inmates to beat Mr. Ojwang.
Mr Talam denied the allegation through his attorney, and Mr Ragat has not commented yet.
Under Kenyan law, individuals detained in police custody have the right to adopt specific protections, including legal representation and the right to communicate with advocates or supporters.
Mr Ojwang’s family still struggles to absorb their losses.
Ms Onyango told the BBC that I did not believe his body and I did not believe it until I saw his body in the morgue. “What we just saw in the movie…I’ve never seen a body like this. It’s heartbreaking,” she said.
William Ruto, who promised to end the history of police brutality and extrajudicial deaths in Kenya when he came to power in 2022, expressed his shock, saying: “This kind of tragic incident, in the hands of the police, is heartbreaking, heartbreaking and unacceptable.”
He urged the police to cooperate fully to promote “speed, transparent and credible investigations”.
He added: “I fully expect to establish the truth about what happened in Ojawan in due time and will serve justice.”
“It seems that our constitution is only read like a newspaper, and we forget tomorrow,” Source: Meshack Ojwang, Source description: Albert Ojwang’s father, Image: Meshack Ojwang
Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) said nearly 160 cases of suspected extrajudicial killings and forced disappearances were reported in Kenya.
IPOA President Ahmed Issack Hassan told MPs on Thursday that at least 20 people have been detained in police custody in the past four months alone.
Mr Ojwang’s father told the BBC: “It seems like our constitution is only read like a newspaper, and we will forget it tomorrow.”
The grief overwhelmed Mr. Ojwang’s widow: “I don’t know what will happen next because that person is my best friend…he’s not there. So, I think my world is small and it’s dark.”
But, like her father-in-law, Ms. Onyango believes that the case that sparked the protest could be a turning point.
“I think Albert’s death should open our eyes because it shows us something that’s happening in cells that might not be aware of.
“I really want to talk to my Kenyans, stand at our feet and try to talk about it so that everyone can take responsibility.”
You may also be right:
go bbcafrica.com More news about the African continent.
Follow us on Twitter @bbcafrica,on Facebook BBC Africa Or on Instagram bbcafraca
BBC Africa Podcast
