Justice for Albert Ojwang: A Nation at a Crossroads

The streets of Nairobi were alive with a fervent cry for justice on Thursday, as throngs of Kenyans gathered to honor the memory of Albert Ojwang, a political blogger whose death in police custody remains shrouded in controversy.

Ojwang, a spirited 31-year-old, was apprehended on June 6 in Homa Bay, a bustling region in western Kenya. His alleged offense? Disseminating what authorities claim was false information about Deputy Inspector General Noor Gabow. But was it merely that?

Transported 400 kilometers to Nairobi, Ojwang’s life ended abruptly at Central Police Station. Initially, officials suggested a bizarre narrative: that he had fatally collided with a cell wall. This story, however, began to disintegrate almost immediately.

A government pathologist’s report cast a stark light on reality, revealing head trauma, neck compression, and soft tissue injuries aligned with brutal assault. In response, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an investigation, identifying the five officers tied to his detention and transfer.

“This was not suicide,” stated Police Inspector General Douglas Kanja during a Senate hearing, retracting prior assertions. He offered a solemn public apology, a rare gesture from the police force.

With the weight of public scrutiny bearing down, President William Ruto addressed the nation midweek: “This tragic occurrence, at the hands of the police, is heartbreaking and unacceptable. We must follow the investigation with vigilance, without rushing to judgement.” Yet, the public had already passed its verdict.

Demonstrators choked the city’s arteries leading to Parliament, coinciding with the unveiling of Kenya’s national budget. Accounts from the scene are vivid, with at least two vehicles set ablaze and clouds of tear gas recalling the chaos of last year’s financial protests.

Albert Ojwang’s unfortunate death has struck a chord in a nation grappling with systemic police violence. His final words, critiques aimed at high-ranking officials, ring hauntingly in the ears of his supporters. The words he never got to post have become a rallying cry for justice.

On June 8, Ojwang was transferred to a hospital in Nairobi where he was pronounced dead. Autopsy conclusions, witnessed by IPOA officials, debunked earlier police reports, citing blatant evidence of a different brutal story.

Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen pledged accountability: “We are committed to ensuring that everyone involved in this crime is brought to justice – without interference from any quarter.” His words resonate, but in a climate thick with past betrayals, trust wavers.

Rights groups, their patience worn thin by a pattern of disappearances and extrajudicial killings, perceive a chilling consistency in Ojwang’s fate under Ruto’s regime. The president, who rose to power on vows of transformation, now stands at a familiar crossroads: Will he safeguard the people, or the status quo that fortifies his authority?

Edited By Ali Musa
Axadle Times International–Monitoring