"Why did you kill my son?" Albert Ojwang's father demands answers from police after death in custody

As the body of 31-year-old Albert Ojwang lay cold at the Nairobi Funeral Home (City Mortuary), his father Meshack Opiyo stood broken and angry, demanding answers from the very institution meant to protect his son.

Emotionally addressing the media on Tuesday, Opiyo said his son was picked up from Homa Bay by police officers who claimed they had been sent by Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.

“I handed him over to you through the people that you sent to arrest him,” he said. “I need you to tell me why you killed my son, what sin did he commit to warrant death?”

The father, who had pinned his hopes on his son after retiring, could not understand why Ojwang, a teacher and vocal critic of corruption, had to die so brutally.

“I educated him and retired so that he could take care of me. Today you’ve broken my hand,” he said, accusing the police of lying about the cause of death.

Opiyo questioned the official explanation, asking how injuries on his son's arms and knees could have come from hitting his head.

“Please, President William Ruto, help me as a Kenyan who pays taxes and do justice to us,” he pleaded, shortly after five pathologists confirmed his worst fears — that Ojwang had been tortured and beaten to death.

Ojwang was taken to Central Police Station around 9:00 pm on Sunday, but was only booked at 1:00 am.

His body was later registered at the Nairobi Funeral Home at 2:44 am, raising more questions about what happened during the unaccounted hours.

Tension rose at the funeral home on Tuesday when Homa Bay Woman Representative Joyce Atieno was blocked from addressing the press by angry mourners and was later ejected from the premises.

Law Society of Kenya President Faith Odhiambo condemned the killing and called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation.

“We want action, we do not want to see you making merry with the National Police Service,” she said.

Odhiambo said the postmortem results confirmed their suspicions.

“In as much as the Police IG has since released the people who had been interdicted, we want to know who picked him up from Homa Bay because we do not know of the torture on the way,” she added.

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She said no one was allowed to see Ojwang before his death, and that responsibility must fall on every officer involved.

“Who gave the orders for him to be picked up? Let every person in the trail be held culpable for this heinous murder.”

The Law Society said it will pursue compensation for the family and push for the prosecution of the officers responsible. Odhiambo urged the public to continue standing with the Ojwang family and said justice must come with peace.

Activists joined the call for accountability, demanding the resignation of Lagat. Vocal Africa’s Hussein Khalid said senior police officers linked to the incident must step aside to allow investigations.

“All these individual officers who were involved, we want them immediately interdicted,” said Hussein.

The National Assembly has directed its committee to present a preliminary report by Thursday afternoon on the death of Albert Ojwang, a young man from Homa Bay County who allegedly died in police custody.

The Speaker of the National Assembly, Moses Wetang’ula, issued the directive following MPs' growing concerns over what they described as a disturbing and urgent matter.

The Speaker gave the Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security until June 12 at 2:30 pm to brief the House and the nation on the status of investigations.