Raila condemns Ojwang's death in custody, demands accountability

Rt. Hon Raila Odinga at the Funeral of Preskila Oreny Koyo wife to the late Ker Joash Koyo Opien in Homa bay Country. 

Orange Democratic Movement (ODM leader Raila Odinga has condemned the worrying trend of police brutality following the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in a police cell.

In a statement dated Tuesday, Odinga questioned the circumstances surrounding Ojwang's arrest and subsequent death, demanding immediate answers from authorities.

“So far, nobody knows who gave the orders for Mr. Ojwang to be arrested and ferried to Nairobi and yet that person should be answering to Kenyans,” Odinga noted.

Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay and transported to Central Police Station in Nairobi, where he died.

He had been arrested over an allegedly offensive social media post targeting a senior officer on X. 

The ODM leader said Ojwang's death is another addition to the growing list of defenceless Kenyans who have lost their lives to police brutality, saying that these recurring deaths, caused by police injustices, are akin to a failing nation.

“While these deaths cause tremendous pain to individuals and their families, they seriously erode the authority and credibility of the police and the state, a step that is a significant step towards chaos and collapse.” 

He has now called on authorities to conduct speedy investigations into Ojwang's death.

"The National Police Service must commit to and take concrete actions to hold their own accountable, beginning with the senseless death of Albert Ojwang," he urged.

Ojwang's death has sparked widespread outrage and calls for justice from the public, human rights groups, and leaders across the political divide.

Police have denied responsibility for Ojwang's death, classifying it as a "suicide." 

A team of government pathologists conducting a post-mortem examination at City Mortuary has now revealed that Ojwang died from head injuries, ruling out potential assault.