A sombre mood gripped Ridgeways Baptist Church along Kiambu Road on Thursday as family, friends, and a few political leaders gathered to pay their last respects to Albert Omondi Ojwang, a young teacher who died under unclear circumstances while in police custody.
Albert, a dedicated Christian Religious Education and History teacher, had served at several schools including Sabaki Mixed Secondary School, Kituma School, and Moi Boys, where he was also a beloved rugby coach. Known for his passion for education, sports, and music, Albert’s untimely death has sparked widespread grief and outrage.
His mother, Eucabeth Ojwang, tearfully recalled the last time she saw her son. “Policemen came for him just as I had served lunch. I asked him what he had done, and he said he didn’t know. That was the last time I saw my son,” she said, overwhelmed with emotion. “You deserved peace and protection, not this.”
Albert’s father, Meshack Ojwang, expressed sorrow and frustration. “No parent should ever have to bury their child. Your life was taken unfairly. Justice must be done.”
His wife, Nevnina Onyango, spoke movingly of the life they had built together since meeting in 2021. “We had plans. The way you left us is unbearable,” she said. She promised to raise their son, George Miles (Albert Junior), with the love and strength his father embodied. Music held a special place in their love story, with Prince Indah’s Mama Camara and Nyar Jaduong’ serving as his romantic anthems to her.
Former Attorney General Justin Muturi, who also attended the memorial, lamented the growing culture of police brutality and impunity. “Even I couldn’t protect my own son from such horrors. What chance does the ordinary Kenyan have?” he asked. He announced the formation of a People’s Restorative Justice Commission to address such injustices.
Mumias East MP Peter Salasya condemned the police conduct and vowed to oppose any legislation curtailing the right to protest.
As mourners bade farewell to the Manchester United fan and mentor to many, one message rang clear: Albert may be gone, but the call for justice lives on.
