Kenyans unite in grief through M-Pesa donations for Albert Ojwang's father, demanding justice
It wasn’t until comedian Eric Omondi shared Meshack’s phone number on Tuesday that the donations began flooding in.
Kenyans have united in grief and compassion, pouring out their support for Meshack Opiyo, the father of 31-year-old teacher Albert Ojwang, whose brutal death has stirred a nationwide outcry.
Opiyo, who had travelled from Homa Bay to Nairobi hoping to rescue his only child, was met with devastating news: his son was already dead.
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His heartbreaking image, shared widely in the media, showed a man defeated and confused, grappling with the weight of a loss he could neither explain nor accept.
The public response was swift and overwhelming.
Hundreds reached out, eager to help the grieving father with burial expenses and to show they stood with him in his pain.
It wasn’t until comedian Eric Omondi shared Meshack’s phone number on Tuesday that the donations began flooding in.
“Hey guys, God bless you for the overwhelming support… the M-Pesa message is full. This is Albert Ojwang’s father’s other number, 0113664965 (Meshack Opiyo). Let’s keep sending. You can also send to Pochi La Biashara on the other number 0727927898 (Meshack Opiyo). God bless,” Omondi posted.
“Just within 11 minutes of me posting Meshack’s number, and it is full. We have managed to get another number, and it will also read Meshack. He has called me and told me that, ‘Eric, please tell Kenyans thank you,’” he added.
On Tuesday evening, Omondi visited Chiromo Mortuary, where Ojwang’s body lies.
There, he met Opiyo in person and offered his condolences, launching an online appeal to raise more funds for the family.
“How many more must we bury? Team Sisi Kwa Sisi let’s stand with Baba Albert… Albert has left behind a 3-year-old son. Let’s ensure he never lacks anything. May he grow up to know that his father died a hero. Send whatever you can to Baba Albert’s number 0727927898 (Name: Meshack Opiyo),” read Omondi’s post.
Meshack Opiyo, the father to the late Albert Ojwang. (Photo: Courtesy)
The public response was more than a show of generosity; it was a powerful expression of shared pain.
One Kenyan, Isaac Kimtai, said the overflowing M-Pesa was more than a fundraiser.
“Yes, it is compassion, but also a roaring cry of rage. A collective heartbreak, a digital uprising,” he said in a Facebook video. “Albert is not just a name. He is a victim of police brutality, another young Kenyan silenced by a system that should protect him. And Kenyans are not looking away. They are showing up with their phones, their voices, and their money because they are tired. Tired of injustice. Tired of silence. Tired of seeing their brothers and sisters die without consequence.”
As the body of Ojwang lay cold at the Nairobi Funeral Home, his father stood broken but firm, demanding answers from the police.
He emotionally addressed journalists on Tuesday, naming those he believes should be held responsible.
“I handed him over to you through the people that you sent to arrest him,” he said, accusing police officers who claimed to have been sent by Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat. “I need you to tell me why you killed my son. What sin did he commit to warrant death?” Opiyo posed.
Albert Omondi Ojwang who died while in police custody in Nairobi after his arrest at his family home in Kakot, Homa Bay County. (Photo: Courtesy)
Opiyo, a retired man who had invested all his hope in Albert, struggled to understand the cruelty of his son’s death.
“I educated him and retired so that he could take care of me. Today you’ve broken my hand,” he said, visibly crushed by grief.
He questioned the police account, which claimed Albert had died from a head injury, asking how wounds on his arms and knees could come from such a fall.
“Please, President William Ruto, help me as a Kenyan who pays taxes and do justice to us,” Opiyo pleaded.
Five pathologists confirmed that Ojwang had been tortured and beaten to death.
Ojwang had been taken from Homa Bay and brought to Nairobi, where he was taken to Central Police Station around 9:00 pm on Sunday, though records show he was only booked at 1:00 am.
His body was later taken to the Nairobi Funeral Home at 2:44 am, raising even more troubling questions.
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