Questions have emerged after the mysterious death of a popular influencer and teacher, who died in police custody shortly after being arrested.
Albert Ojwang was confirmed dead on Sunday, June 8, by his father, who travelled from Homa Bay to Central Police Station to find out the reasons behind his son's arrest.
Ojwang, a teacher based in Voi and known online for his bold political commentary, was reportedly arrested a day earlier in Migori town while visiting his family.
According to the late teacher's father, plainclothes officers apprehended him without much explanation, only stating that he had “insulted their boss” on X.
“They picked him up and put him in handcuffs,” Ojwang's father recalled. “I asked why they were arresting him. They said he had insulted their boss on X and told me to follow them to the police station if I wanted more information.”
Unconfirmed reports suggested the influencer was nabbed on suspicion of false publication, although it remains unclear who the influencer targeted with the alleged posts.
According to the family lawyer, Ojwang's father was instructed to avail himself in Nairobi on Monday when his son would be arraigned in court, but he decided to travel on Sunday.
"While I was in church, he (Ojwang's father) called me and told me he had come to Nairobi to follow up on the arrest and they confirmed that the boy is dying at the police station," he said.
"It was quite unfortunate because the offence they were informing me that the boy was being investigated for was a media publication on Twitter. That is really not something I would expect to lead to someone losing their life."
Under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act (2018), it is unlawful to knowingly publish false information in print, broadcast, or online.
After his arrest on Saturday, Ojwang was transported hundreds of kilometres to Nairobi, where he was booked at Central Police Station for further interrogation.
Hours after news of his arrest started going viral, the influencer was reported to have sustained severe head injuries, which authorities claim were self-inflicted.
However, within hours, the influencer was reported to have sustained severe head injuries while in custody, with police alleging the influencer attempted to take his own life while in custody.
According to authorities, the influencer did not die at the police station. Instead, he lost his life en route to a medical facility.
Lawyer Paul Muite has since confirmed Ojwang's death in a post on X, stating, "R.I.P. Albert Ojwang. GoK thinks all it needs to do is spew the lie that you committed suicide in Police and other Gen-Zees; this Regime has extra-judiciary executed, and it will not be in vain. Those responsible will be paid be held accountable for these crimes."
