By staff writer
NAIROBI, Kenya – Kenyan authorities on Monday announced murder charges against three police officers and three civilians in the death of 31-year-old political blogger and schoolteacher Albert Ojwang, whose killing has sparked national outrage and renewed scrutiny of police conduct.
Ojwang, a vocal critic of President William Ruto’s administration and a frequent presence on TikTok and X (formerly Twitter), was found dead in a Nairobi police cell on May 29.
Authorities initially described the death as a suicide, but an independent postmortem commissioned by his family revealed signs of blunt force trauma and internal bleeding—pointing to a fatal assault.
The announcement comes just days ahead of the one-year anniversary of the 2024 anti–Finance Bill protests that left dozens dead and hundreds injured.
Activists have planned memorial demonstrations this week, raising fears of renewed clashes between protesters and security forces.
According to court filings, one of the officers implicated claimed he was “following an order from above,” a statement that has further fueled public anger and calls for accountability at the highest levels of government.
The names of the accused have not yet been officially released, though local media have identified at least one officer from Nairobi’s Central Police Station.
In a surprising move, Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Lagat has voluntarily stepped aside pending the outcome of the investigation, saying he wished to “protect the integrity of the service.”
“We are shaken, but we must let justice take its course,” Lagat told reporters. His decision is being interpreted as a signal of internal pressure within Kenya’s police leadership, which has faced repeated allegations of torture, extrajudicial killings, and political repression over the past decade.
Ojwang’s family welcomed the news of the charges but said they remain skeptical. “Albert was more than a blogger—he was our son, our brother, our voice,” said his sister, Miriam Ojwang.
“We want more than charges. We want the truth to come out.”
Civil society groups are urging the government to go beyond prosecutions and commit to systemic police reform.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched a parallel investigation and is expected to publish its findings next month.
International human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, have also called for transparency and warned that failure to ensure accountability could deepen the country’s political polarization.
“Albert’s death is not an isolated case—it’s part of a disturbing trend where dissent is met with brutality,” said Muthoni Wanjiru, East Africa Director for Amnesty.
“If this moment is not seized for reform, it will happen again.”
As the case proceeds, Kenyans are watching closely. For many, the prosecution of police officers signals a long-overdue test of justice in a country where impunity has long reigned.
© All East Africa – all rights reserved
