Human Rights Commission demands answers in Albert Ojwang's death

Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) Commissioner Prof. Marion Mutugi.  [Boniface Okendo, Standard]

The Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) is demanding a detailed report on the circumstances surrounding the death of influencer Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody.

KNCHR Commissioner Marion Mutugi, appearing on a local station on Tuesday said the authorities involved should be investigated.

‘’We want a chronological event of what happened within the 36 hours that Ojwang was in the hands of the police; when he went to a police station in Homa Bay, who handled him, what was his state and how was he transported to Nairobi. We need to know,’’ she said.

Mutugi further alleged that Central Police Station has a history of mistreating detainees, labeling it a "scene of crime."

She questioned the suspension of officers involved, stating the constitutional right to equal access to justice. “The officers might have been suspended but who are they? We believe it is a constitutional requirement that there is equality in access to justice.”

Ojwang was arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) in Migori days before his death. He was subsequently transported to Nairobi and detained at Central Police Station, where he was reported dead the following morning.

While a police report claimed Ojwang died by suicide by repeatedly hitting his head against a wall, the KNCHR has dismissed this account and is pressing for answers.