Teachers light candles in honour of fallen blogger Albert Ojwang

Teachers in Nyeri County have condemned the abduction and subsequent murder of Albert Ojwang, allegedly at the hands of police officers.

Under the banner of the Kenya Union of Post-Primary Education Teachers (Kuppet), the educators are demanding swift justice and accountability.

During a press briefing, Nyeri Kuppet Executive Secretary Francis Wanjohi expressed outrage over the incident, calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all officers involved in Ojwang’s death, regardless of their rank within the National Police Service (NPS).

“As teachers from Nyeri County, we are deeply agitated by the abduction and brutal killing of our colleague while in police custody,” Mr Wanjohi said.

“We are grieving with Ojwang’s family and strongly condemn this senseless act of violence. If such a heinous crime can be committed against one of our own, then our safety as teachers in this country is not guaranteed.”

The teachers, who held a peaceful candlelight vigil in Nyeri town on Friday evening, emphasized that the case should not be swept under the rug.

They called on the government and investigative agencies to expedite investigations and ensure that justice is served without favoritism.

“We demand that all individuals responsible for Ojwang’s abduction and murder face the full force of the law. The perpetrators must be held accountable, irrespective of their positions within the police service,” he added.

Ojwang, described by those who knew him as a young and promising educator, had been serving as a Board of Management teacher at Kituma Secondary School in Mwatate, Taita Taveta County.

He joined the school in May 2024. Media outlets in Kenya reported that he had quit teaching in 2024. According to The Star, he left Kituma to concentrate on social media activism.

His death has sparked widespread outrage within the education sector, with calls for greater protection and respect for teachers, particularly from law enforcement officers.

Kuppet leaders vowed to continue pushing for justice and accountability, saying the union would not relent until those behind Ojwang’s death are brought to book.

Meanwhile, Milimani Law Courts will rule this coming week on whether to allow the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to detain a police constable suspected of involvement in the death of anti-corruption blogger and teacher Albert Omondi Ojwang.

Constable James Mukhwana, who was the cell sentry at Nairobi Central Police Station when Ojwang died in custody on June 8, 2025, appeared before Magistrate Robinson Ondieki today. IPOA, the state watchdog agency probing police misconduct, asked the court to authorize Mukhwana’s detention for 21 days to allow investigators to collect critical evidence and prevent interference with witnesses and forensic materials.

Mr Mukhwana was represented by lawyer Danstan Omari, who objected to the detention request and urged the court to consider releasing the officer on bond under strict conditions. IPOA investigators argued that Mukhwana was not cooperating and that early attempts to access CCTV footage from the station had been obstructed.

No formal charges were read during the Friday session, and no plea was taken. Magistrate Ondieki ordered that Mukhwana remain in custody until June 20, when the court will issue a ruling on the detention application.

Ojwang,31, had been arrested on June 6, 2025, at his rural home in the Luo Nyanza over social media content deemed defamatory to Deputy Inspector General Eliud Kipkoech Lagat. 

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He was transported to Nairobi and held in the Central Police Station cells, where he died two days later. Police initially claimed he had hit his head on a wall, but an independent autopsy revealed blunt force trauma to the head and signs of neck compression, suggesting violent assault.

The case has triggered nationwide outrage, with civil rights groups condemning it as yet another example of police brutality and impunity. Demonstrators in Nairobi lit fires and clashed with anti-riot police, demanding the prosecution of all responsible officers.

In a rare move, IPOA has already arrested three individuals in connection with the death:

• Constable James Mukhwana, the cell sentry.
• Senior Sergeant Samson Talam, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Central Police Station. Talam was arrested in Eldoret after allegedly switching off his phone to avoid apprehension.
• A CCTV technician suspected of helping to tamper with video evidence from the police cells.

President William Ruto, responding to mounting public pressure, confirmed that Ojwang “died at the hands of the police” and directed all law enforcement agencies to fully cooperate with IPOA’s investigation.

The case has drawn attention from international human rights bodies, and IPOA has pledged to pursue full accountability.

Investigators have requested data from Safaricom and other technical evidence, including mobile phone records and forensic reports from the Government Chemist, to build a watertight case.