Ojwang's parents new home in Homa Bay County/HANDOUT

As the body of Albert Ojwang is set to return home for the burial on July 4, a promise he once made to his parents of building them a house has come to life, painfully in his absence.

Homa Bay Governor Gladys Wanga has handed over a newly built, fully furnished house to Albert’s father, Meshack Ojwang, in Kokwanyo village, Homa Bay.

The new house replaces a crumbling structure that Albert had long hoped to replace.

The original house was a modest, timeworn structure with faded maroon paint clung to its rough-cast walls, rust had eaten through the iron sheets, and space was limited.

The current Ojwang’s parents' new house is a fully completed three-bedroom home with a satisying design: a project spearheaded by the Homa Bay County government.

The exterior is finished in a warm peach colour, accented with crisp white trim around the windows and roofline, giving it a neat and polished look.

It has a striking red, gable-style metal roof that contrasts beautifully with the walls. Large, secure windows with metallic frames allow natural light to brighten the interior.

At the front, a small tiled veranda with two support columns leads to the main entrance—every detail, from the paintwork to the structural finishes, reflecting a completed and ready-to-live-in family home.

"Today, as we receive Albert’s body home, his dream to build his parents a new house is fulfilled in his absence," Governor Wanga said, adding, "May justice prevail."

The home was completed in a record time of just two and a half weeks after Governor Wanga’s June 16 visit to the grieving family.

She had made a public pledge then to construct the house before the burial, at a cost of Sh1.5 million.

“I will donate a three-bedroom house so that Mzee will have a decent home. Mourners will come, sit in a tent, eat and leave, but Mzee deserve a better place to live,” Wanga said.

The county also ensured electricity was connected to the home by June 17, and plans are underway to establish a water point to serve the Ojwang family and the surrounding community.

The story of Albert Ojwang attracted national attention and outrage.

He was arrested in Homa Bay, where he had travelled to visit his parents and later transferred to Nairobi by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) where he died while in custody under circumstances that remain unclear.

His death triggered widespread protests and growing calls for justice and accountability.

For now, amid the grief and calls for answers, a small part of Albert's vision for his parents has been realized.