Raila demands justice after Albert Ojwang's death in police custody

Former Prime Minister Raila Odinga has condemned the death of a young Kenyan, Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody under unclear circumstances.

“I have been deeply horrified by reports of a young Kenyan, Albert Ojwang, who was picked from Homa Bay and driven to his death in police cells in Nairobi,” Odinga said in a statement issued on Tuesday, June 10.

Ojwang was allegedly arrested over a social media post.

According to Raila, the arrest and transfer raised serious questions.

“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,” he said.

Raila said the incident adds to “the horrifying long list of young and defenceless Kenyans whose lives have been taken too soon, in brutal and senseless circumstances, at the hands of the police.”

He warned that such deaths not only cause personal grief but also damage public trust in state institutions.

“They seriously erode the authority and credibility of the police and the state, and that is a significant step towards chaos and collapse,” he stated.

Raila called for swift and transparent action.

“A speedy and credible closure to this latest incident of injustice in the hands of the police, alongside the many others that we have been pursuing since 2023, is not optional,” he said.

He demanded accountability from the National Police Service.

“The National Police Service must commit to and take concrete actions to hold their own accountable, beginning with this senseless death of Albert Ojwang,” he said.

Raila warned that when citizens cannot distinguish police injustice from mob injustice, the nation risks failure.

On June 9, 2025, a lawyer representing the family of the late Ojwang raised serious concerns about the state of his body, pointing to visible signs of physical trauma.

Speaking outside City Mortuary, the lawyer said Ojwang’s body had extensive injuries on the head, hands, and shoulder area.

“The head was swollen all over, especially the frontal part, the nose, and the ear,” he stated.

According to the lawyer, blood was visibly oozing from Ojwang’s nose and mouth when the body was viewed.

Ojwang died while in custody at the Central Police Station in Nairobi, a case that has drawn public interest and growing calls for accountability.

The lawyer urged authorities to launch an independent investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death, saying the injuries suggest possible foul play.