A large crowd of activists and mourners blocked the roundabout outside Nairobi Funeral Home, formerly City Mortuary, on Monday, protesting the mysterious death of Albert Ojwang, a Voi-based teacher and social media influencer who died in police custody.
Protests have erupted along Ngong Road at City Mortuary demanding justice. Anti-riot police are currently camping at the City Mortuary roundabout, where comrades are protesting Albert Ojwang’s death at the Central Police Station.
Tensions escalated as anti-riot and regular police units arrived at the scene, confronting demonstrators chanting for justice and accountability.
The protest, which disrupted traffic along Ngong Road near Mbagathi Hospital, coincided with the ongoing postmortem of Ojwang, attended by his family and lawyers.
Demonstrators, many recording the standoff with phone cameras, chanted slogans such as “Kenyans, united, we shall never be defeated” and called for the resignation of President William Ruto and Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Langat, whom Inspector General Douglas Kanja identified as the complainant in Ojwang’s arrest.
Ojwang, 31, was arrested on Saturday, June 7, in Homa Bay over an alleged “false publication” on X, reportedly defaming DIG Langat.
He was transported 350 kilometers to Nairobi’s Central Police Station, where he was found unconscious during a routine cell check early Sunday and pronounced dead at Mbagathi Hospital.
Police claim Ojwang died by suicide after hitting his head against a cell wall, a narrative disputed by his family and activists.
Family lawyer Julius Juma revealed that Ojwang’s body, viewed at the mortuary, showed signs of torture, including a swollen head, blood oozing from his nose and mouth, and scratches consistent with being dragged.
“The police’s version is full of inconsistencies,” Juma said, noting the family was denied access to the cell where Ojwang allegedly died.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an investigation, with Chairperson Isaac Hassan assuring the public of transparency.
Inspector General Kanja interdicted the Central Police Station’s Officer Commanding Station (OCS), duty officer, cell sentry, and others on duty during the incident to facilitate the probe.
