Eucabeth Adhiambo Ojwang’s voice trembled with pain as she stood before mourners at Ridgeways Baptist Church. She was remembering the final moments she shared with her son, Albert Ojwang, before his tragic death.
It was a quiet afternoon in Homa Bay. Eucabeth had just prepared a simple lunch for Albert. He had not taken a single bite of the ugali when armed officers stormed their home. She recalled how his hands shook and how fear filled his eyes.
“When they came, Albert was trembling. I asked him what was wrong. He told me, ‘Mum, I have done nothing,’” she said, holding back tears.
Her son’s arrest was the beginning of a nightmare. Albert, a respected social media voice, had been accused of publishing false information about Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat. He was taken to Central Police Station in Nairobi.
On June eighth, just a day after being booked, Albert died while in police custody. Reports said he was tortured by other inmates, allegedly under the watch and direction of officers. Later, a police constable gave a chilling account suggesting that the assault had been planned and ordered by top officials.
Eucabeth is left with questions no mother should ever have to ask.
Late Albert Ojwang posses for a photograph during a past event
“Why did they not ask if he had dependents? Why arrest him when he had done nothing wrong? He was my son. He was a husband. A father. He was the one we all depended on,” she said, her voice breaking.
Her sorrow speaks for many mothers in Kenya who have lost sons in unclear and violent circumstances. Albert’s death sparked nationwide outrage. Protesters took to the streets demanding justice. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority is investigating. The matter is also in court.
But no investigation can bring back the man who never got to finish his lunch. Albert will be buried on July fourth in Homa Bay. He leaves behind a wife, a young son, and a grieving mother whose life changed forever that afternoon when the police came knocking.
