- Pressure grows on Deputy IG Eliud Langat to step down after the mysterious death of teacher Albert Ojwang.
- Ojwang had been arrested over a satirical post implicating Langat in graft.
- The teacher died in unclear circumstances while in police custody in Nairobi.
- Allegations point to torture at Karura Forest before he was returned to Central Police Station.
- Top police officials, IPOA, and DCI now under intense scrutiny as the country demands answers.
Deputy Inspector General Eliud Langat is facing heavy calls to resign following the controversial death of Albert Ojwang, a young teacher and X (formerly Twitter) user. His death, while in police custody, is now at the heart of public debate about misuse of power, police abuse, and online freedoms in Kenya.
Ojwang was reportedly arrested after sharing a humorous fake headline that linked Langat to corruption. What began as an online joke turned into a serious matter, with Langat filing a formal complaint to the DCI. This sparked a manhunt across counties by elite officers.
Standard Media reported a bizarre incident where men believed to be GSU stormed their office in a white Probox with fake number plates. They demanded to know the origin of the viral image. Not long after, Ojwang was arrested from his home in Homa Bay and transported to Nairobi.
According to police boss Douglas Kanja, officers were cooperative during Ojwang’s journey to the capital. He was even allowed to call his wife and shared drinks with them. But this story fell apart when new reports emerged that Ojwang was allegedly taken to Karura Forest, tortured, then dumped back into his cell.
Alarming Claims from Karura to Central Police
Insiders allege that once Ojwang became unconscious during the torture, he was rushed back to Central Police Station and placed in a solitary cell. He was later declared dead just after midnight. The officer in charge, Samson Taalam, now says he acted on the case only after Ojwang was already in the cell — a statement that contradicts other witnesses.
Initially, Kanja claimed Ojwang harmed himself. But after backlash, he backtracked, calling for proper investigations. President William Ruto has also joined the chorus for justice, acknowledging that public trust in police must be rebuilt.
The shocking developments in Ojwang’s case have triggered fierce debate on the state’s intolerance toward criticism and how digital speech is being policed. The public is demanding accountability—not just for one death, but for what many see as a pattern of silencing dissent.
