Why Albert Ojwang's death has put Kenya's police on trial
His candid interview in heartfelt Swahili and his refusal to stay silent touched Kenyans and the hashtag #JusticeForAlbertOjwang immediately began trending, with calls for an investigation.Kenya has a history of police brutality, but the subsequent revelations have stunned the nation - not only the details about the death in police custody of the trained teacher turned blogger, but the ensuing allegations of police lies and subterfuge.Parliament even called in the chief of police, the head of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the internal affairs minister and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) for questioning.It is hard to imagine why the 31-year-old Bachelor of Education graduate could have died such brutal circumstances.It is clear that his father, who used to work in a quarry in south-eastern Kenya, was proud that his son from such humble beginnings had done so well academically."He could never hurt anyone either online or physically," David Bwakali, a former teaching colleague at Kituma Secondary School, told Kenya's Daily Nation's newspaper.Albert Ojwang, a passionate Manchester United football fan, had taught religious studies, history and rugby at the school in the town of Mwatate in south-eastern Kenya.He was only there for a couple of terms last year as he had not been employed on a government contract but privately through the school's management board.This is common for new teachers - he had not long graduated from Pwani University - and such arrangements tend not to be well paid.Mr Bwakali said his friend had recently been in touch to discuss how he hoped to get a posting as a government teacher.And it was an exciting time for Mr Ojwang, who lived in the coastal town of Malindi, as he and his 26-year-old wife had gone back to his rural Homa Bay home for a long visit so she could be properly introduced to his family.They had arrived in April and were, according to Luo customs, formalising their marriage.Part of these traditions involved refurbishing his "simba" - or bachelor's pad within his father's homestead - into a home suitable for the couple and their three-year-old son George.He was helping his parents out by doing some farm work on the family's two-acre plot of land - and he and his wife were making plans for their future with Ms Onyango's imminent graduation as a health worker.Mr Ojwang was also trying to make money as a digital content creator - and was part of a movement of young people on social media posting about political and social issues.This is what led to his death.
It is not clear how many followers he had on X as his account was deleted after his arrest, but fellow influencers said he had a strong online presence and often participated in social media campaigns.He used a pseudonym - something that is not unusual with Kenyans online given recent crackdowns on youth dissent.Activists have linked his death to a broader trend of police impunity, citing the unresolved deaths of more than 60 young people during last year's anti-tax protests."Ojwang's death is not an isolated incident but a chilling reminder of the institutionalised impunity and rogue behaviour within the National Police Service (NPS)," Muslims for Human Rights (MUHURI) director and renowned human rights defender, Khelef Khalifa, told local media.But what is unusual about Albert Ojwang's case is the how swiftly and detailed the investigation has been. In addition, two days of the televised parliamentary hearings have meant that Kenyans have heard for themselves the disturbing details that led to his death.When appearing before the parliament last Wednesday, police chief Douglas Kanja was forced to retract an earlier police statement that said that Mr Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and rushed to hospital, where he died of head injuries sustained after he banged his own head against a wall.The post-mortem examination and an unusually speedy investigation by the IPOA ruled out the possibility that the blogger had killed himself.The police chief apologised and blamed the error on "misinformation" from his juniors.He went on to say that the arrest of Mr Ojwang had stemmed from defamatory online posts targeting his deputy, Eliud Lagat - who has since stepped aside. Mr Lagat said he was doing so in the "good and conscious thought" of his responsibilities as deputy police chief and that he would provide any support he could to the investigation into the blogger's death.According to Mr Kanja's statement to parliament, the posts on X had alleged Mr Lagat was running corrupt operations in the police by placing trusted officers in specific departments and traffic shifts to "control both revenue streams and intelligence flow".Mr Kanja's statement detailed various posts including one that claimed Mr Lagat was under investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) along with his photo and the phrase "Mafia Cop".According to the police chief's parliamentary statement, Mr Lagat had submitted a complaint to the DCI on 4 June about the posts. The next day when the EACC confirmed there was no investigation into Mr Lagat, the police proceeded with what was regarded as a "serious case" under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act.Mr Kanja said the Communications Authority was contacted about two accounts linked to the posts. It led to the arrest of a man on 5 June who revealed that he and four others were involved in the campaign - one being Albert Ojwang.Two days later, the police had tracked Mr Ojwang down to his home village in western Kenya.
In her testimony, IPOA Vice Chair Anne Wanjiku gave some shocking details about the last few hours of Mr Ojwang's life.She said two witnesses, who were in a neighbouring cell, told the IPOA that they had heard loud screams on the night he died.IPOA investigators claim that a technician was paid $30 (£22) to disconnect the CCTV in the station.After the parliamentary hearings ended, two police officers were arrested in connection with Mr Ojwang's death.The IPOA, which is bringing the case, said junior officer PC James Mukhwana had told investigators the intention had been to "discipline" Mr Ojwang, not kill him.He said the officer in charge of the station, Samson Talam, had been contacted by Mr Lagat with the order and had given the constable $15 to pay two inmates to beat up Mr Ojwang.Mr Talam, through his lawyers, has denied the allegation and Mr Lagat has not commented.Under Kenyan law, individuals in police custody are entitled to specific protections, including the right to legal representation and communication with advocates or support persons.Mr Ojwang's family are still having difficulty absorbing their loss."I had not believed it until I saw his body in the morgue," said Ms Onyango, telling the BBC it bore signs of torture. It was like "things that we just see in movies… I've never seen such a body. It was so heart breaking," she said.President William Ruto, who pledged to end Kenya's history of police brutality and extrajudicial deaths when he came into power in 2022, has spoken out about his shock, saying: "This tragic occurrence, at the hands of police, is heart-breaking and unacceptable."He urged the police to co-operate fully to facilitate a "swift, transparent and credible investigation"."I fully expect that the truth about what happened to Ojwang will be established in due course and that justice will be served," he added.
However nearly 160 cases of suspected extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances were reported across Kenya last year, according to the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC).IPOA chairperson Ahmed Issack Hassan told MPs when he was questioned on Thursday that at least 20 people had died while held by police in the past four months alone."It is as if our constitution only is there like a newspaper to be read, and tomorrow we forget about it," Mr Ojwang's father told the BBC.Grief has overwhelmed Mr Ojwang's widow: "I don't know what will happen next, because that one person that was my best friend… he's not there. So, I feel like my world is so small and it's dark."But like her father-in-law, Ms Onyango believes the case, which has sparked protests, could be a turning point."I think Albert's death should be an eye-opening to us, because it has shown us some of the things that are happening in the cells that maybe we don't know."I really want to talk to my fellow Kenyans to stand on our feet and try and talk about this matter, so that everybody can be accountable."
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BBC identifies security forces who shot Kenya anti-tax protestersBatons, tear gas, live fire - Kenyans face police brutalityWATCH: Inside the world of Kenya's 'killer cop'New faces of protest - Kenya's Gen Z anti-tax revolutionariesKenyan tax protesters take on Christian leadersKenyan president's humbling shows power of African youth
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