A cloud of grief and outrage hangs over Homa Bay following the shocking death of Albert Ojwang, a respected teacher and outspoken social commentator on X (formerly Twitter), who died under suspicious circumstances less than 24 hours after being arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Albert, described by friends and colleagues as principled and passionate about justice, was reportedly arrested at 2PM on Sunday at his family home in Homa Bay in full view of his parents and relatives. According to his devastated father, DCI officers did not disclose the reason for the arrest nor present a warrant. He was immediately transported to Nairobi and held at the Central Police Station.
Allegations are now emerging that Albert was never formally booked at the station, and no charges were communicated to him or his family. Despite desperate pleas from his loved ones, they were denied any contact or visitation throughout the night.
Tragedy struck early Monday morning. Albert’s father arrived at the Central Police Station by 7AM, hoping to see his son or obtain information about his case. After hours of waiting in uncertainty and fear, he was informed at 10AM that Albert had died.
According to the officers, Albert “injured himself” while in custody and died en route to Mbagathi Hospital. No medical records, incident reports, or official statements corroborating this account have been publicly released.
Albert Ojwang was the only child in his family. His grieving father, speaking to reporters in tears, recounted the horror of watching his son taken away by state agents—only to be told hours later that he was gone. “They took him alive, without a reason, in front of us. Now they say he’s dead? How?” he cried.
The circumstances surrounding Albert’s death have sparked outrage online and offline, with human rights groups, civil society actors, and prominent Kenyans calling for an immediate and independent investigation. The hashtag #JusticeForAlbert began trending shortly after news of his death broke, with thousands demanding accountability and transparency.
"This is not just a tragedy; it’s a gross violation of human rights," said a spokesperson for the Kenya Human Rights Commission. "Custodial deaths must never be normalized. We demand an impartial postmortem, release of CCTV footage from the police station, and suspension of the officers involved."
As the country grapples with mounting questions, the Ojwang family has been left to mourn a son who walked into the hands of the law and never came back. The Ministry of Interior and the DCI have yet to release an official statement.
Albert's voice, once active in calling out injustice, has now become a symbol of it.
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