Justin Muturi: Albert Ojwang’s death raises alarm over police impunity
Former Public Service Cabinet Secretary (CS) Justin Muturi has condemned the death of Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody.
In a statement on X on Monday, June 9, 2025, Muturi stated that Ojwang’s death raises an alarm over state intimidation and silencing as well as police impunity.
“I strongly condemn the tragic and deeply disturbing death of Albert Ojwang, a young Kenyan who died under police custody just hours after being arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI),” he stated.
“This is not an isolated case. It reflects a pattern of state intimidation, silencing, and impunity that must be stopped. We cannot sit back and watch a generation of young, vocal, and courageous Kenyans be hunted down for simply speaking truth to power,” he added.
Further, he has questioned the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s death, saying he was exercising his constitutional rights
“Albert was not a criminal. He was a teacher. A citizen. A son. A voice on social media, exercising his right to free expression under our Constitution,” he stated.
“ The circumstances surrounding his death, including the alleged ‘suicide attempt’ in custody, are not just suspicious; they are outrageous. They insult the intelligence of Kenyans and raise very serious questions about the conduct and accountability of our law enforcement agencies.”
Ojwang died on June 8, 2025, hours after officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) arrested him over a social media post.
He was picked up by police officers in Kakot, Homa Bay County, on Saturday afternoon, June 7, 2025, who said they were probing him over a post he allegedly made on the social media platform X, formerly Twitter.
They later drove him to Nairobi and detained him at the Central Police Station.
However, when his family arrived at the police station on Sunday, June 8, 2025, to follow up on the case, they found he was dead.
IPOA
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Chairperson Issack Hassan has stressed that the commission has already deployed a team to probe the controversial death of Ojwang in police custody.
Addressing the press on Monday, June 9, 2025, at the Central Police Station in Nairobi, Hassan assured Kenyans that IPOA would conduct an intensive investigation aimed at establishing the truth and ensuring justice prevails.
“Our mandate is to uphold the rule of law and protect citizens from any form of abuse by the police. We shall leave no stone unturned in uncovering the circumstances that led to Mr Ojwang’s death,” he affirmed.
