Public outrage continues to mount following the autopsy report revealing that digital content creator Albert Ojwang was strangled to death while in police custody. The findings have sparked protests, with activists and civil society groups demanding accountability and justice for the 27-year-old, whose death has raised alarming concerns about police brutality and the suppression of free speech.
On Tuesday, pathologists confirmed that Ojwang died from blunt force trauma to the head and manual strangulation, contradicting police claims that his injuries were self-inflicted. The young creator, known for his social and political commentary, was arrested last week over content he shared online and later died at Central Police Station under unclear circumstances.
The Digital Content Creators Association of Kenya (DCCAK) has condemned the killing, calling it a possible attempt to intimidate and silence critical voices. “It is unacceptable that a young Kenyan, arrested for exercising his constitutional rights, could be killed while under police protection,” said DCCAK chairperson Bob Ndolo.
Activists took to the streets on Tuesday, marching to the office of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat in Upper Hill, Nairobi, to protest Ojwang’s death. Carrying placards with messages like #StopPoliceBrutality and #JusticeForAlbert, demonstrators accused law enforcement of extrajudicial killings and demanded immediate action.
The hashtag #JusticeForAlbert has trended widely, with Kenyans online and offline calling for an independent investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP). Civil society groups have warned that Ojwang’s death reflects a dangerous pattern of state-sanctioned violence against dissenters, particularly digital activists.
As pressure builds, questions remain over whether authorities will hold those responsible accountable. Ojwang’s tragic death has become a rallying cry against police impunity, with many fearing that without justice, more young Kenyans could suffer the same fate.
“We will not be silenced,” declared one protester. “Albert’s death must not be in vain.”
