In a powerful display of grief and outrage, thousands of residents in Mawego, Homa Bay County, stormed Mawego Police Station on Thursday, July 3, 2025, setting parts of it on fire during a protest linked to the funeral procession of Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger who died in police custody under controversial circumstances. The demonstrators, including students from Mawego National Polytechnic, carried Ojwang’s coffin to the station, where he was initially detained before his transfer to Nairobi’s Central Police Station, where he died on June 8, 2025.
The protest, marked by chants of “Justice for Albert” and “No Justice, No Peace,” turned chaotic as enraged mourners accused the police of involvement in Ojwang’s death. Videos captured a massive crowd marching through dusty village roads, carrying placards, twigs, and leaves, with some setting fire to structures at the police station. Officers were seen scrambling to salvage belongings and extinguish flames, while the crowd uprooted the station’s signage in a symbolic act of defiance. The procession was described as both a mourning ritual and a bold act of resistance against perceived police brutality and impunity.
Ojwang, a vocal critic of alleged police corruption, was arrested on June 7, 2025, in Kakoth village, Homa Bay, following a complaint by Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat over alleged defamatory social media posts. After being briefly held at Mawego Police Station, Ojwang was transported 350 kilometers to Nairobi’s Central Police Station. Hours later, he was found unconscious and pronounced dead at Mbagathi Hospital. Initial police claims of self-inflicted injuries were debunked by an autopsy revealing blunt force trauma, neck compression, and multiple bruises, consistent with assault.
The Director of Public Prosecutions, Renson Ingonga, has since approved murder charges against six individuals, including Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, two other officers, and three civilians, with investigations ongoing by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). The case has sparked national outrage, with the hashtag #JusticeForAlbert trending on X, reflecting public demands for accountability.
Eucabeth Adhiambo Ojwang, Albert’s mother, shared a heart-wrenching account of his arrest, recalling how officers took him from their home as he trembled, assuring her he had done nothing wrong. “They took my Albert just when I had prepared lunch for him. He hadn’t even taken a bite of ugali,” she said during a requiem service at Ridgeways Baptist Church in Nairobi on July 2, 2025.
The protest in Mawego followed weeks of demonstrations across Kenya, including in Nairobi, where police used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse crowds, resulting in injuries such as the shooting of vendor Boniface Kariuki on June 17, 2025. President William Ruto condemned Ojwang’s death as “heartbreaking and unacceptable,” pledging to hold “rogue officers” accountable, though critics argue his administration has failed to curb systemic police violence.
As Ojwang’s body was later taken to Kokwanyo village in Kabondo Kasipul for burial on July 4, 2025, the message from Mawego resonated clearly: the community demands justice, transparency, and an end to extrajudicial killings. The nation continues to watch closely as investigations unfold, with international calls from the U.S. and EU for a thorough probe adding pressure for accountability.
