High Court Advocate Willis Otieno has questioned the “urgent need” that led to the transfer of the late teacher Albert Ojwang from Homa Bay to Migori, and later to Nairobi, saying the decision cost him his life.
According to reports, detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations picked Ojwang from his home in Homa Bay while he was about to have lunch with his family and drove him to Nairobi.
He was booked into a police cell where he later died.
Police have since faced accusations of attempting to conceal evidence surrounding his death.
In a statement posted on X, formerly Twitter, Otieno said the circumstances of the arrest and transfer demand public scrutiny.
“One question continues to demand an answer: What was so urgent that senior DCI officers travelled to Homa Bay to arrest Albert Ojwang just as he was about to have lunch with his family? That decision changed the course of his life forever and denied his family the chance to see him alive again,” Otieno wrote.
The advocate called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all individuals linked to the incident, arguing that accountability must cut across rank and office.
“Every person who planned, authorized, facilitated, carried out, or attempted to conceal any criminal wrongdoing must be identified through the judicial process and held fully accountable. Rank, office, and influence must never become shields against justice,” he said.
Otieno further warned that deaths in custody followed by conflicting official narratives threaten public trust in law enforcement and the Constitution.
“A constitutional democracy cannot tolerate deaths in custody followed by conflicting official narratives. The truth must prevail, justice must be done, and those responsible must answer before the law,” he added.
Human rights groups have also called for an independent inquest, saying Ojwang’s death highlights the need for reforms in police arrest and custody procedures.