The death of Kenyan blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody in early June 2025 has ignited a national outcry and intense scrutiny over police conduct, prompting multiple investigations and high-level government responses. Ojwang, 31, was known for his social media commentary on political and social issues.

Albert Ojwang was arrested in his rural home in Homa Bay on Friday, June 7, 2025, reportedly in connection with posts allegedly defaming a senior police official. He was subsequently transported to Nairobi and booked into the Central Police Station later that evening. Sources indicated that Ojwang was in good health at the time of his booking, shortly after 9 pm.

According to emerging reports, notably from The Star newspaper, Ojwang was later removed from his cell between 9:35 pm on June 7 and 1:39 am on June 8. He was allegedly taken in a private vehicle to Karura Forest, where he was handcuffed and subjected to severe torture, including being kicked and punched into unconsciousness. Some accounts suggest a senior police officer was present during the assault.

After the alleged torture, Ojwang was brought back to the Central Police Station in a critical and unresponsive condition. Officers on duty reportedly initially refused to re-admit him due to his state. The Officer Commanding Station (OCS), Samson Talam, was then called and reportedly devised a plan to rush Ojwang to a hospital, where he was subsequently pronounced dead. His death was officially logged at 1:39 am on Sunday, June 8, 2025.

The initial police account claimed Ojwang died by suicide, alleging he had hit his head against a cell wall. However, this narrative was quickly contradicted by a post-mortem examination conducted by a team including pathologist Bernard Midia. The autopsy revealed that Ojwang sustained injuries consistent with assault, including a severe head injury, neck compression, and other soft tissue damage.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) launched an immediate investigation into Ojwang's death. IPOA Vice Chairperson Ann Wanjiku informed the Senate that the authority had attended the post-mortem and confirmed that crucial CCTV footage from the Central Police Station, especially from areas near Ojwang’s holding cell, appeared to have been tampered with. IPOA also named five police officers involved in Ojwang's initial arrest.

Police leadership has faced intense pressure. Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja publicly apologized to the Senate for the misleading initial report of suicide. Central Police Station OCS Samson Talam, along with his deputy and other officers, was interdicted. While DCI Director Mohamed Amin initially pointed to Talam as a prime suspect, he later asserted that DCI officers had handed Ojwang over to the Central Police Station safely.

The reasons cited for Ojwang's arrest have also been contentious. IG Kanja told the Senate that Ojwang was one of five bloggers being investigated for spreading false and defamatory claims online about Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, alleging corruption and an EACC investigation. DIG Lagat had lodged a formal complaint on June 4. However, the EACC later denied that Lagat was under any such investigation by their agency.

IG Kanja further claimed that the investigating team, in collaboration with the Communications Authority of Kenya (CA), had traced Ojwang’s X account (@PixelPioneerAI) and another, leading to the arrest of an accomplice, Kevin Moinde, who then allegedly implicated Ojwang. However, the CA issued a public statement denying that it provided real-time tracking information or assisted in police operations without a valid court order, distancing itself from any direct involvement in Ojwang's tracing and arrest.

Further complicating the narrative, it was revealed that days before Ojwang's death, General Service Unit (GSU) officers had reportedly raided the newsroom of The Standard Media Group on April 22, 2025. This raid was allegedly in connection with fake newspaper front pages circulating online, with headlines like "The Richest Cop" and "The Mafia Cop," which made similar accusations against DIG Eliud Lagat. Ojwang had shared content echoing these claims.

The case has elicited strong reactions from the highest levels of Kenyan leadership. President William Ruto stated that Ojwang had died "at the hands of the police," calling the incident "heartbreaking and unacceptable." Interior Principal Secretary Dr. Raymond Omollo condemned the death, emphasizing it "should never have happened" and promising that those responsible would face the full force of the law.

Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, addressing the Senate, dismissed calls for his resignation over the incident. While acknowledging challenges within the National Police Service, he reiterated his stance against police brutality and expressed confidence that IPOA's investigation would bring the perpetrators to justice.

Amidst the calls for justice, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja met with Albert Ojwang's grieving family, including his father, mother, wife Nevnine Onyango, and young son George Miles. Sakaja pledged comprehensive support, including covering burial expenses, funding George Miles' education, paying for Mrs. Onyango’s remaining college fees and offering her employment upon graduation, and purchasing land and building rental units for Ojwang’s parents to provide them with a sustainable income.

The death of Albert Ojwang has also had political reverberations. The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) party, an alliance partner with President Ruto's UDA, voiced outrage, with some leaders threatening to withdraw from their Memorandum of Understanding if swift justice was not delivered, citing the agreement’s clauses on human rights and the prevention of extrajudicial killings.

Widespread condemnation from human rights organizations, civil society groups, and the general public has followed Ojwang's death, with protests occurring outside the mortuary in Nairobi. The case has intensified concerns over police brutality, enforced disappearances, and the accountability of security services in Kenya, with a unified demand for transparency and justice for Albert Ojwang.