Kenya, July 3 -- In a dramatic escalation of public outrage, thousands of Kenyan youth, including students from Mawego National Polytechnic, stormed and set fire to Mawego Police Station in Homa Bay County on July 3, 2025, while carrying the coffin of slain teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang.
The emotionally charged protest, captured in videos circulating on X, saw mourners chanting "Justice for Albert" and "Stop killing us" as they marched with Ojwang's casket, demanding accountability for his death in police custody.
The incident has intensified Kenya's ongoing debate over police brutality and impunity.
Ojwang, a 31-year-old social media influencer, died on June 8, 2025, hours after being transferred from Mawego Police Station to Nairobi's Central Police Station following his arrest for allegedly defaming Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat.
Initial police claims of self-inflicted injuries were debunked by an autopsy revealing blunt force trauma, neck compression, and multiple bruises, pointing to assault as the cause of death.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has charged Central Police Station OCS Samson Talam and five others with murder, with a bail hearing scheduled for July 30 at Kibera High Court.
The destruction of CCTV footage at Central Police Station has further fuelled suspicions of a cover-up. On Thursday, mourners escorted Ojwang's body, flown from Nairobi to Homa Bay, to Mawego Police Station, where he was first detained.
Videos showed a massive crowd carrying placards and the casket, setting parts of the station ablaze, with officers scrambling to salvage belongings.
The procession, described as both a mourning ritual and an act of resistance, proceeded to Kokwanyo village in Kabondo Kasipul for Ojwang's burial on July 4.
Locals highlight the youth's defiance, with some users calling it a stand against systemic police violence targeting digital activists.
President William Ruto condemned Ojwang's death as "heartbreaking" and promised a transparent investigation, but public trust remains low, with rights groups like Amnesty Kenya citing over 160 extrajudicial killings in 2024.
The Mawego incident, following protests in Nairobi where vendor Boniface Kariuki was shot, shows growing anger among Kenya's youth, particularly Gen Z, who see Ojwang's death as part of a broader pattern of state repression.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Bana Kenya.