The brutal death of 31-year-old teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody has ripped open old wounds in Kenya, igniting a fervent demand for accountability and a swift, unblemished investigation. What began with initial police claims of "self-inflicted injuries" has unraveled into a horrifying narrative of alleged assault, cover-up attempts, and a public clamor for truth that resonates far beyond the streets of Nairobi.
The search for the truth about the circumstances leading to the demise of Albert Ojwang continues to reveal increasingly disturbing details, painting a grim picture that starkly contradicts the police's initial narrative. While the authorities had maintained that Ojwang was taken to Mbagathi District Hospital for medical attention, a report from the hospital's medical officer on duty, corroborated by the nurses, tells a chillingly different story. Albert Ojwang was brought in at 2:00 AM, not as a man in urgent need of medical care, but as a body bearing horrific signs of trauma. His face was swollen, and blood ominously oozing from the back of his head, his mouth, and his eyes.
A cut was noted on the parieto-occipital region (back of his head), and his entire body was cold to the touch, unresponsive, unequivocally dead. The nurses on duty that fateful morning confirmed that upon assessment, they concluded a corpse had been delivered to them, directly contradicting police claims of rushing him for medical attention. The notification of death to the mortuary even explicitly lists the location of his death as the Central Police Station. Police claim they found Ojwang unresponsive and rushed him to the hospital at 01:39hrs – just minutes before his documented arrival at Mbagathi – a timeline that seems to defy the extent of his injuries and the hospital's declaration of death on arrival.
This glaring conflict in narratives and the severe injuries detailed in the hospital report, subsequently cemented by autopsy results, depict what can only be described as a brutal and deadly attack on the young man, refuting any notion of self-infliction. The mounting evidence and public outcry led to a critical development: an arrest. On Thursday evening, , was taken into custody in connection with Albert Ojwang's death. He was arrested by officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) and subsequently detained at Capitol Hill Police Station.
During his arraignment in court, the gravity of the situation was palpable. Through his lawyer, Danstan Omari, PC Mukwana extended "sincere condolences" to Ojwang's bereaved family, acknowledging the "big disaster for any family to lose their loved one." However, this expression of sympathy came amidst a robust application from IPOA for Mukwana's continued detention. Abdirahaman Jibril, senior assistant director of investigation with IPOA, submitted an affidavit providing compelling reasons why the suspect should remain in custody.
The application claimed that PC Mukwana was "highly likely involved in the planning and execution of the brutal fatal assault" of Albert Ojwang at Central Police Station. Furthermore, it alleged that upon preliminary investigations, it was determined that Mukwana, together with other persons still at large, was "highly likely involved in a deliberate cover-up by tampering with CCTV footage at the station." The affidavit raised concerns that the accused was likely to interfere with witnesses, the crime scene, custody records, and other documented evidence if released, arguing that the matter was of "grave public importance" and that the "interests of justice and the dictates of the rule of law require that the applicant is detained to allow completion of independent and impartial investigations by IPOA."
During cross-examination, Mukwana's counsel questioned Jibril, asserting that no material evidence directly supported the affidavit and applying for his client's release on bail or reasonable bond terms. They emphasized that Mukwana had willingly submitted himself to authorities and, as a serving police officer, the government possessed all his records. The defense further argued that pre-plea detention for 21 days would deny him his liberty and freedom, with Lawyer Omari urging the court to treat the respondent equally to all others, to avoid the perception of "two parallel laws for the mighty and the constables." Despite these arguments, the court ruled for Mukwana to remain detained at Capitol Hill Police Station pending further investigation and a final ruling.
This development, while offering a semblance of progress, has done little to quell the skepticism among Kenyans. The public, particularly the spirited youth of Gen Z who have taken to the streets demanding justice, questions whether PC Mukwana is merely a scapegoat being sacrificed to silence the late's family and diffuse the growing unrest. Is this, they ponder, another familiar scheme by the police force to cover up the actual perpetrators of Albert Ojwang's brutal murder? The memory of past injustices and alleged police cover-ups looms large, fueling a pervasive distrust.
The nation demands more than just an arrest; it demands a quick, transparent, and thoroughly impartial investigation. Kenyans are united in their call for all individuals responsible for Albert Ojwang's death to be held accountable, ensuring that truth prevails and justice is served, not only for him but for all citizens who have suffered similar fates in custody. The echoes of Central Police Station demand a definitive answer, and a fundamental shift in ensuring police accountability.
