Six individuals, including three police officers and three cellmates, are set to face murder charges today in connection with the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang. Ojwang died in custody at the Central Police Station in Nairobi approximately two weeks ago. Among those accused are interdicted Central Police Station OCS Samson Taalam, police officers James Mukhwana and Peter Kimani, and cellmates John Ngige Gitau, Gin Ammitou Abwao, and Brian Mwaniki Njue. They are charged with murder contrary to Section 204 of the Penal Code.

The suspects were initially arraigned before Kibera High Court Justice Diana Kavedza on Monday, June 23. However, plea-taking was postponed to allow time for some suspects to secure legal representation, as the judge deemed it prejudicial for them to plead without counsel. Ojwang was arrested on June 7 in Homa Bay on suspicion of making defamatory posts targeting Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat. After a brief detention at Mawego Police Station, he was transferred to Central Police Station in Nairobi, where he died. A post-mortem conducted two days later revealed that his death resulted from a combination of head injuries due to blunt force trauma, neck compression, and extensive bruising across his body.

Ojwang's death has resonated deeply across Kenya, evolving into a significant moment likened to the USA's 'George Floyd moment,' challenging the normalization of extrajudicial killings and entrenched impunity. His case has defied attempts by various parties to silence it, bringing a rare ray of hope in a context previously marred by despair over unpunished heinous acts by security personnel. Despite attempts to politicize or ethnicize the tragedy, a broad unity of purpose has emerged in the pursuit of justice. Religious leaders, Gen Z counterparts leveraging online and offline presence, teaching professionals, civil society organizations, professional bodies, and a segment of the diplomatic community have all voiced their demands for accountability. Attempts to mislead on the cause of death or interfere with CCTV cameras at the Central Police Station have been met with resistance, demonstrating a collective determination to prevent cover-ups.

In the wake of Ojwang's death, his family also launched a public appeal for financial support. Kenneth Ouma, the family spokesperson, confirmed that a total of KSh 5.6 million has been raised through an official family account, which includes contributions from the public and political leaders. Public donations channeled through the family's official paybill account, also supported by initiatives like Eric Omondi's 'Sisi Kwa Sisi', amounted to KSh 2.06 million. Additionally, President William Ruto contributed KSh 2 million and former Prime Minister Raila Odinga donated KSh 1 million. Ouma clarified that comedian Eric Omondi's initial estimate of KSh 10 million in public donations was an assumption. Eric Omondi had previously expressed feelings of betrayal when Ojwang's father accepted donations from the government, which he held responsible for Albert's death, despite significant public contributions.

Adding to the family's distress, over KSh 500,000 raised by well-wishers for Ojwang's burial and family support mysteriously vanished from his father Meshack Opiyo's M-Pesa account. This incident follows a similar claim by the family of Boniface Kariuki, a hawker killed during anti-tax protests, who also reported the disappearance of over KSh 200,000 from funds raised under the 'Sisi Kwa Sisi' initiative. Ojwang's uncle, Polycarp Odhiambo, stated that Opiyo discovered the loss when he was unable to withdraw funds due to lacking an ID, and a visit to Safaricom revealed that both the donated funds and his personal savings of KSh 17,000 were gone. An account statement reportedly showed names of individuals who had withdrawn the funds. The news of the missing money has elicited mixed reactions from Kenyans online, with some expressing sympathy for the grieving family while others questioned the circumstances, pointing to the millions already received from politicians.