Former Chief Justice David Maraga has issued a scathing rebuke of the Kenyan government following the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody, calling it the final straw in what he described as a growing pattern of state brutality and impunity.
Ojwang, who was arrested on June 7 at his home in Homa Bay for allegedly posting a defamatory message about Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, died the following day at the Central Police Station in Nairobi. Initially, police claimed he hit his head against a wall. However, a postmortem report released by a government pathologist confirmed he had been brutally assaulted, strangled, and tortured.
In a powerful statement released Wednesday, Maraga condemned the killing as a “breaking point” and demanded the regime step aside to allow a national reset. “Albert’s murder is the last straw,” he declared. “This administration has for long taken Kenyans for granted. It is now clear that this regime cannot and will not govern.”
He cited an alarming 450 percent increase in enforced disappearances under the current administration, calling the trend indefensible. “We refuse to be a country where parents watch their children kidnapped, tortured, and killed in broad daylight,” he said, urging for the restoration of rule of law and national institutions.
The death of Ojwang has sparked widespread outrage. ODM leader Raila Odinga demanded clarity on who authorised Ojwang’s transfer from Homa Bay to Nairobi, warning that such actions erode public trust in the police and state. “Such deaths… are a dangerous step towards chaos and collapse,” Odinga warned.
ODM Deputy Leader and Vihiga Senator Godfrey Osotsi, speaking in the Senate, underscored the need for full accountability. “The postmortem indicates this young man was tortured and killed through neck compression. We need proper answers,” he said.
The ODM party has threatened to withdraw from its cooperation agreement with the ruling UDA unless a thorough and transparent investigation is conducted.
As public anger mounts, Ojwang’s death has become a rallying cry for justice testing the government’s resolve to uphold human rights and protect its citizens from state abuse.
