President William Ruto has called for justice following the death of teacher and social media influencer Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the President said he was shocked and saddened by the news, just like many other Kenyans.
“Like most Kenyans, and especially as a parent, I received the news of the death of Albert Ojwang while in police custody with utter shock and deep dismay,” said Ruto.
He condemned the alleged negligence or possible criminal acts that may have led to Ojwang’s death.
“This tragic occurrence, at the hands of the police, is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” he said.
The President reminded members of the National Police Service that once they arrest a person, they take full responsibility for that individual’s safety and well-being.
“I therefore call on the National Police Service to fully cooperate with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and to take every necessary step to support a swift, transparent, and credible investigation into the death of Ojwang,” he added.
He urged everyone to avoid interfering with the ongoing investigations.
“I fully expect that the truth about what happened to Ojwang will be established, and that justice will be served,” said the Head of State.
A postmortem conducted by government pathologist Dr. Bernard Midia showed Ojwang died from serious head injuries, neck compression, and multiple soft tissue injuries. The findings ruled out the possibility that the injuries were self-inflicted.
Dr. Midia dismissed earlier police claims that Ojwang had died after hitting his head on a wall.
“If someone hits themselves against a wall, the injury would follow a specific pattern. But Ojwang had injuries on different parts of the head—the face, sides, and back. This does not support that claim,” said Dr. Midia.
He added that the deceased also had injuries on his hands and upper body, which strongly suggested he was assaulted.
“This is unlikely to be a self-inflicted injury,” the pathologist concluded.
The autopsy was carried out in the presence of the family’s pathologist, Mutuma Zambezi, human rights observers, and other officials.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo called for urgent action.
“It is now clear that an innocent teacher was assaulted and killed in custody. We demand justice,” she said.
Ojwang’s father, who witnessed the postmortem, vowed not to rest until justice is done.
Following the public outcry, activists staged peaceful protests in Nairobi, calling for accountability.
In response, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja interdicted several officers stationed at Central Police Station, including the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), the duty officer, the cell sentry, and all officers who were on shift during the incident.
“This is a standard measure to ensure impartial investigations. IPOA is now in charge. If any officer is found responsible, they will face the full force of the law,” said Kanja.
Some of the interdicted officers have claimed they were off duty when the incident occurred.
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