Why Albert Ojwang’s death has put Kenya’s police on trial

“My son died like an animal.”

His only son Albert Oujuang was arrested in the village of Kakut, near the western Homa town, on Saturday, June 7, 2025 – when he was lunch with his wife Nevinina Uniango.

One of the five detention officers told the family that he was accused of insulting a police chief on social media.

“We asked the police if it would be safe, because we heard stories about some of the people who were kidnapped,” Ms. Uniango told BBC. “They assured us, even a point that even gave us their numbers.”

When Mr. Oujuj was seized at the central police station at approximately 21:30 on Saturday night, he was allowed to contact his wife.

“When we talked, it was like:” As I feel nervous, don’t worry much. I will see you soon. “I think these were his last words.”

But his father was concerned and decided to follow his son, as he made a trip of 350 km (220 miles) to Nairobi – he carries the duties of the land title for the family as a security in the case of needing to pay the guarantee.

He says that he arrived early on Sunday morning at the station, and after he continued waiting for several hours, it was said in the end that his son had died of his wounds.

In disbelief and standing next to his lawyer, he described the vision of his son’s body: “He was bleeding from the nose and had a trunk and bruising. He was also without a shirt, but this is not how I handed him over to the police on Saturday.”

He did not touch his explicit interview in the heart attack and his Kenyan silence and the #justiceforabertojwang immediately, with calls for investigation.

Kenya has a history of the police brutality, but the subsequent disclosure has stunned the nation – not only the details about the death of the police that turned into the trained teacher, but the allegations that followed this about the police and life.

He called Parliament to the head of the police, the head of the Criminal Investigation Directorate (DCI), the Minister of Internal Affairs and the Independent Police Control Authority (IPOA) for interrogation.

It is difficult to imagine why a 31 -year -old Bachelor’s graduate could have died in such brutal circumstances.

It is clear that his father, who was working in a quarry in southeast of Kenya, was proud that his son from such modest beginnings had achieved well academic.

“No person can either hurt either online or physically,” David Bouakali, a former teaching classmate at Kenya Daily Nation.

Albert Oujuang, one of the emotional football fans in Manchester United, has taught religious, history and men in school in the town of Mortate in southeast of Kenya.

There was only for a few conditions last year because he did not work in a government contract, but separately through the school board of directors.

This is common for new teachers – he has long graduated from PWANI University – and these arrangements do not tend to obtain good salaries.

Mr. Bouakali said his friend was in contact recently to discuss how he was hoping to get a post as a government teacher.

It was an exciting time for Mr. Oujuang, who lived in the coastal town of Malindy, where he and his 26 -year -old wife returned to his home in the country of Huma’s country for a long visit so that he could be presented to his family properly.

They arrived in April and they were, according to Luo Customs, the official character of their marriage.

Part of these traditions involve the renovation of “Simba” – or the Bachelor’s Panel inside his father’s house – to a suitable house for the couple and their three -year -old son George.

He was helping his parents to go out by doing some agricultural work on the conspiracy of the family with acres – and he and his wife were planning their future with Mrs. Uniango’s brutal graduation as a healthy factor.

Mr. Oujuang was also trying to earn money as a creator of digital content – and he was part of the youth movement on social media that was published on political and social issues.

This is what led to his death.

It is not clear that the number of followers who had on X was deleted after his arrest was deleted, but his fellow influencers said that he had a strong presence online and often participated in social media campaigns.

He used a pseudonym – something unusual with Kenyans online given the last campaign against young people.

Activists have linked his death more widely for police success, citing deaths that have not been resolved for more than 60 young people during anti -tax protests last year.

“The death of Oujuang is not an isolated accident, but it is a microcosm of the extent of the institutional punishment and the rogue behavior within the National Police Department (NPS).”

But what is unusual about Albert Oujuang’s case is how the investigation was quickly and detailed. In addition, two days of televised parliamentary listening sessions mean that the Kenyans heard themselves the annoying details that led to his death.

When he appeared in front of Parliament last Wednesday, police chief Douglas Kanga was forced to back down from a previous police statement that he said was found conscious in his cell and rushed to the hospital, where he died due to head injuries after his head was caught on the wall.

The examination after death and unusually rapid investigation by IPOA excluded the possibility that the blogger had killed itself.

The police chief apologized and blamed “wrong information” from his young.

And he went on to say that the arrest of Mr. Oujuang has arisen from the definition posts via the Internet targeting his deputy, Eliod Lagat – Who has moved since then. Mr. Lagat said that he was doing this in “good and conscious thought” for his responsibilities as deputy head of the police and that he would provide any support that he could investigate the death of the blogger.

According to Mr. Kanja’s statement to Parliament, the publications claimed to X that Mr. Laghat was running corrupt police operations by placing reliable officers in specific departments and passes to “control revenue flows and intelligence flow.”

Mr. Kanja’s statement detailed many positions, including one who claimed that Mr. Lagat was under investigation by the Ethics and Control Committee (EACC) with his image and the phrase “Police Mafia”.

According to the Parliamentary Police Chief’s statement, Mr. Lagat complained to DCI on June 4 about jobs. The next day, when Eacc confirmed that there was no investigation into Mr. Lagat, the police followed what was considered a “serious issue” under the computer abuse law and cyber devices.

Mr. Kanja said that the authority of communications was contacted about two accounting accounts. This led to the arrest of a man on June 5 that he revealed that he and four others participated in the campaign – one of them Albert Oujuang.

Two days later, the police tracked Mr. Oguang to his village in West Kenya.

In her testimony, IPOA president, Ann and Wangko gave some horrific details about the past few hours of Mr. Oujung’s life.

She said that two witnesses were in a neighboring cell, they told the public subscription that they had heard a loud screaming on the night in which he died.

IPOA investigators claim that a $ 30 technician (22 pounds) was paid to separate CCTV at the station.

After the end of the parliamentary listening sessions, A police officer has been arrested regarding the death of Mr. Oujuang.

The IPOA, who brings the case, said that the novice officer PC James Mukhwana told the investigators that the intention was the “discipline” of Mr. Oujang, not his killing.

He said that the officer in charge of the station, Samson Talam, had contacted him by Mr. Lagat to order and grant Constable $ 15 to pay two prisoners to overcome Mr. Ojwang.

Through his lawyer, Mr. Talam denied the prosecution and Mr. Lagat did not comment.

Under the Kenyan law, individuals detained in the police reservation have a specific protection, including the right to legal representation and communication with defenders or support.

The family of Mr. Oujuang is still having difficulty absorbing its loss.

“I did not believe in that until I saw his body in the morgue,” said Ms. Uniango. She said that it was like “the things we only see in movies … I haven’t seen such a body.

President William Roto, who pledged to end Kenya’s history of brutality in the police and deaths outside the judiciary when he reached power in 2022, spoke of his shock, saying: “This tragic event, at the hands of the police, is unacceptable.”

He urged the police to fully cooperate in facilitating a “quick, transparent and reliable investigation.”

“I completely expect the truth to be created about what happened to Wogwang in a timely manner and that justice will serve,” he added.

However, approximately 160 cases of outside the judiciary and enforced disappearance across Kenya were reported last year, According to the Kenya Committee for Human Rights (KHRC).

IPOA president, Ahmed Issak Hassan, told MPS when he was interrogated on Thursday that at least 20 people died while they were in the police in the past four months alone.

“It seems as if our constitution is not like its reading newspaper, and tomorrow we forget that,” Ojwang’s father told the BBC.

Sadness was immersed in the widow of Mr. Oujuang: “I don’t know what will happen next, because this person who was the best friend of me … is not there. So, I feel that my world is very small and dark.”

But like her husband’s father, Ms. Uniango believes that the issue, which sparked protests, could be a turning point.

“I think Albert’s death should be open to us, because it has shown us some things that occur in the cells that we may not know.

“I really want to talk to my Kenyan colleagues to stand on our feet and try to talk about this, so that everyone can be responsible.”