Statement by the National Alternative Leadership Forum
Arrested in Homa Bay, driven over 350 kilometers to Nairobi, and taken into Central Police Station—only never to walk out alive? How do we reassure the public that their lives are protected when the very institutions meant to uphold the law allow lives to be taken behind closed doors?
According to the official autopsy report, Albert Ojwang, a teacher and father, died from injuries sustained while in police custody. The narrative that he took his own life has collapsed under the weight of forensic evidence. What remains now is a singular, unrelenting demand: justice.
This is not a political issue, as some may try to frame it. It is a human issue. A constitutional issue. A moral issue. Above all, it is a crime of murder. Those who perpetrated, enabled, or covered up this act must be charged appropriately. Nothing less than the charge of murder will suffice.
It is also a moment of reckoning for the institutions that uphold our republic. A system of justice cannot function if those charged with enforcing the law become its chief violators. No society can flourish when its supposed guardians of life turn into its takers.
So we ask—with heavy hearts but firm resolve:
Why has no one been arrested yet?
Why are we hearing of interdictions instead of prosecutions?
Why is there a delay in opening a criminal case against those directly involved?
Interdictions are administrative. But a life was lost. A crime was committed. This cannot be treated as a mere workplace issue. It must be addressed for what it is: a criminal act.
The Constitution of Kenya is unambiguous:
Article 26 guarantees the right to life.
Article 49 affirms the rights of arrested persons.
Article 51 guarantees humane treatment for persons in custody.
Albert Ojwang was denied all of these.
Kenya has oversight bodies for a reason. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) exists precisely for moments like this—to ensure no officer is above the law. The National Police Service Commission must not limit itself to internal disciplinary actions; it must uphold justice. The institutions are in place. The law is clear. What we now need is action.
Yes, rogue officers exist. But they do not speak for the entire police service. And precisely because they betray the values of the law-abiding majority, they must be identified, isolated, and prosecuted to the full extent of the law. This is not a condemnation of the police as a whole—it is a call for the institution to cleanse itself of impunity. This is the moment for integrity within the service to rise. Heads must roll. People must be behind bars.
Wearing a uniform does not place anyone above the law. It carries a duty to protect, not to harm. A badge is not a license to dehumanize. It is a symbol of public trust. And when that trust is betrayed, consequences must follow.
Albert Ojwang was not just a headline. He was a man. A citizen. His life mattered. His death cannot be reduced to just another unsolved case. Justice must not be symbolic. It must be real, visible, and complete. Anything less would be an insult to his memory and a betrayal of every Kenyan’s right to dignity and protection.
The country is watching. The family is waiting. Let arrests be made without delay. Let trials begin. Let the truth come out in court—not in whispers, not in silence. Justice delayed is not only justice denied—it is justice abandoned.
We call on all relevant institutions—IPOA, DCI, ODPP, NPS, and the Judiciary—to rise to the occasion. The moment is now. Nobody is above the law.
Let the law take its full course. Let justice be done for Albert Ojwang.
Signed,
Fwamba NC Fwamba
Chairman, National Alternative Leadership Forum
