Kenyan President William Ruto has acknowledged that the recent death of political blogger Albert Ojwang occurred while in police custody, attributing the incident to actions by the police. However, he urged the public to avoid hasty conclusions and allow due process to guide the ongoing investigation.
Ojwang’s case has intensified scrutiny of Kenya’s law enforcement agencies, which have long faced accusations of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances—abuses President Ruto has pledged to eradicate amid growing public frustration.
According to police, the 31-year-old blogger was taken into custody last Friday in western Kenya after allegedly posting defamatory content about the country’s deputy police chief. Authorities claim he died after “hitting his head against a cell wall.”
However, findings from an autopsy conducted by a team that included pathologist Bernard Midia suggest otherwise. Midia reported that Ojwang sustained injuries consistent with assault, including head trauma, compression to the neck, and soft tissue damage.
Ojwang, known for his commentary on political and social matters, has posthumously become a symbol of civic outrage. Human rights groups have condemned the incident, and demonstrators gathered outside the mortuary in Nairobi where his autopsy was performed.
“This tragic occurrence, at the hands of the police, is heartbreaking and unacceptable,” Ruto said in an official statement. “As we mourn his passing, let us patiently but vigilantly follow the progress of the investigations without making premature judgements or drawing conclusions.”
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Kenya’s police accountability body, has launched a formal investigation. On Wednesday, the agency identified five police officers involved in Ojwang’s arrest in Homa Bay County and his subsequent transfer to Nairobi Central Police Station.
IPOA Vice Chairperson Ann Wanjiku, speaking before the Senate, disclosed that the blogger was taken to the hospital on June 8, where he was declared dead. She also confirmed that IPOA representatives were present during the autopsy.
Interior Minister Kipchumba Murkomen reaffirmed the government’s commitment to accountability, telling the Senate: “We are committed to ensuring that everyone who was involved in the crime is brought to justice expeditiously and that no interference from any quarter is brought to bear on the investigation.”
