Public outrage deepens as Kenya’s broad-based government, lauded as a symbol of national unity and post-election reconciliation, faces its most severe political crisis yet.
The catalyst is the brutal death of Albert Omondi Ojwang, who died in police custody under suspicious circumstances.
Ojwang, arrested in Homa Bay over alleged “false publication,” was reportedly tortured and killed inside Nairobi’s Central Police Station.
His death has sparked widespread protests, calls for police accountability, and intensified scrutiny of the government’s commitment to the rule of law and human rights.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has launched an investigation, but conflicting police accounts and reports of missing CCTV footage have fueled public suspicion.
During a church fundraiser in Kisumu, Governor Wanga, also ODM National Chairperson, condemned Ojwang’s killing as “an outrage” and a setback to the government’s pledge to end extrajudicial killings.
Ojwang’s case has become a symbol of police brutality, exposing deep tensions within the Kenya Kwanza–ODM alliance.
Some leaders now question the sincerity of their commitment to human rights, especially the promise to curb extrajudicial killings.
Kisumu West MP Rosa Buyu emphasized respect for all Kenyans’ lives, while Kisumu Woman Representative Ruth Odinga called on President Ruto to rein in security agencies.
ODM Secretary General Edwin Sifuna dismissed the current political deal between UDA and ODM as “useless,” citing recent incidents of state-backed violence, including Ojwang’s death and the brutal killing of two men in Elgeyo Marakwet.
Human rights groups and church leaders have condemned the government’s silence, warning that public trust in security forces is at an all-time low.
