Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has apologised after posting a tweet that wrongly named the Inspector General of Police as she commented on the controversial death of blogger Albert Ojwang.
The 31-year-old influencer, Ojwang, died in police custody at Nairobi’s Central Police Station under unclear circumstances on June 8, 2025.
In a post on her official X account on June 9, Passaris praised the Inspector General of Police for suspending the OCS and officers on duty during Ojwang’s detention.
However, instead of referring to the current IG, Douglas Kanja, Passaris mentioned former IG Japhet Koome.
"I commend Inspector General Japhet Koome for acting swiftly by suspending the OCS, the duty officer, and all officers who were on duty during the tragic death of Albert Ojwang at Central Police Station," her statement said before she corrected.
The error caused criticism, with many social media users questioning how she could confuse the name of such a high-ranking official.
In her statement on Tuesday, June 10, Passaris addressed the backlash and explained the mistake.
She blamed it on her young social media team and the slow return to work after the Friday holiday, Eid-ul-Adha.
“Just a gentle reminder, even MPs have social media teams and, like everyone else, we sometimes slip up."
"Yesterday, while on the APSD caravan tour of Nairobi, a little multitasking led to a mix-up by my team in my statement during edits,” she said.
She added a light-hearted comment, stating that she is 60 years old and sometimes forgets her sisters' names, defending her team.
“I am 60! I sometimes forget my own sisters' names, so I can excuse my younger employees. And as my colleague once said, ‘Yalipo Ndwele sipite’,” she added.
