NAIROBI, Kenya – A tense standoff unfolded outside City Mortuary in Nairobi on Monday after a crowd of protesters blocked the roundabout leading to the facility, demanding answers over the mysterious death of influencer and teacher Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
The demonstration, which drew a heavy police presence, came hours before a scheduled postmortem on Ojwang’s body.
Chants of “Justice for Albert” rang out as mourners, human rights activists, and concerned citizens gathered to pressure authorities into conducting an independent investigation.
Ojwang, a popular online commentator from Homa Bay County, was arrested on Friday over a social media post allegedly implicating Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat in corruption.
According to his family, Ojwang was taken from his home in Migori and driven to Nairobi by officers attached to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
Later, his body was found at City Mortuary under unclear circumstances, sparking public outrage and demands for accountability.
Police insist that Ojwang was not mistreated during his detention.
Speaking at a press briefing at Central Police Station on Monday, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja confirmed that Ojwang was being investigated for publishing false information online targeting a senior officer.
“There was a complaint lodged by the DIG KPS (Eliud Lagat) claiming his name was being tarnished,” Kanja said. “That is why Albert Ojwang was arrested.”
According to police records, Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay on Friday, questioned on Saturday, and formally booked at Central Police Station on Saturday night under OB number 136/7/6/2025 at 9:35 p.m.
He was later moved to a holding cell within the station. Police claim that during a routine check, Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
But that account has been met with deep skepticism. The family and their lawyer say they were initially informed that Ojwang died at Mbagathi Hospital, but later learned his body had already been moved to the mortuary.
Activists and legal representatives have pointed to visible injuries on Ojwang’s body—particularly swelling on the head and blood from the nose and mouth—as possible evidence of foul play.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since launched an investigation.
The authority confirmed on Monday that officers had visited the police station and that its chairperson, Ahmed Issack Hassan, had personally assessed the scene on Sunday night.
IPOA pledged a thorough and transparent investigation and urged top police officials not to interfere with the ongoing probe.
