CHARLENE RUTO MOURNS OJWANG’S DEATH

Daughter of president William Ruto, Charlene Ruto has publicly mourned the death of teacher Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody. She described Ojwang’s passing as an agonizing, regrettable and deeply debilitating loss and shared her difficulty in making sense of the tragedy. She also initiated a moment of silence in memory of the young teacher, during a leadership conversation event with 106 young leaders. In her message on X, she emphasized the need for introspection in light of rising radicalism and intolerance within the nation. She urged Kenyans to reflect on the cultural and environmental legacy they intend to leave for future generations, advocating for what she termed as a “generational ceasefire’’.

Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over a controversial social media post. He was then transferred to Central Police Station in Nairobi. Not long after, he was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where doctors pronounced him dead on arrival. Medical staff at the hospital reported that Ojwang was brought in at the hospital around 2.00 am on June 8th. His

Following an autopsy, it was revealed that Albert died of blunt force trauma, neck compression, and multiple bruises, ruling out suicide as a cause of death. The tragic incident has sparked discussions around police brutality and accountability in cases involving detainees. The event has also added to the ongoing concerns regarding freedom of expression and treatment of individuals in custody.

In total 23 individuals have been questioned on the case and 17 of them are police officers. Among those arrested is a police constable who initially claimed he was off duty at the time. A CCTV technician has also been arrested, who was hired to delete surveillance footage from the station after Ojwang’s death.