The widow of Albert Ojwang, a teacher and blogger who died in police custody earlier this month, says she feels deeply connected to the protests sweeping across Kenya on the anniversary of last year’s anti-government demonstrations.
Nevnina Onyango spoke to the BBC on Wednesday as thousands took to the streets to demand justice for victims of police brutality and protest against what they say is a culture of impunity within the country’s security forces.
Ojwang’s death has become a rallying point for human rights groups after independent pathologists concluded he died from blunt force trauma consistent with assault — directly contradicting police claims that he had self-harmed.
“They don’t learn,” Onyango said of the police, speaking against the backdrop of tear gas and water cannons deployed on demonstrators in Nairobi and other towns. “As much as Kenyans are trying to be peaceful, [the police] always find a way of fighting them. I wish they could help people demonstrate peacefully instead of fighting them.”
Three police officers have been charged with Ojwang’s murder, but Onyango insists the case must go further. She is demanding full disclosure regarding the role of Deputy Police Chief Eliud Lagat, who allegedly ordered her husband’s arrest over a social media post critical of him. Lagat has since stepped aside pending investigations.
“These protests are important because they communicate in a way that will be heard,” Onyango said. “When people air their voices in the street, things might change.”
As the demonstrations continue, Ojwang’s name joins a growing list of Kenyans whose deaths have come to symbolise the high cost of speaking out.
