Thousands of protesters in Homa Bay County set fire to Mawego Police Station while carrying the coffin of Albert Omondi Ojwang, a blogger and teacher who died in police custody. The dramatic scene unfolded during Ojwang’s funeral procession as youths demanded justice for his death.
About one kilometre from Ojwang’s home, protesters intercepted the convoy and changed the planned venue from Nyawango Primary School. They redirected the coffin to Mawego Police Station, where police last held Ojwang. Eyewitnesses say the crowd broke past barricades, forced entry, and burned parts of the compound, torching the reception and the OCS office. The standoff lasted nearly three hours and forced police to flee.
Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrence Koilen condemned the arson. He warned that further violence would prompt police resistance. He reported “significant damage” to the station but no casualties from the fire.
Police arrested Ojwang on June 7 at his home, accusing him of defaming Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Lagat in social media posts. The next day, they moved him to Nairobi’s Central Police Station, where he died under suspicious circumstances. While police first claimed he hit a cell wall, a medical examination later found multiple signs of physical assault.
The torching of Mawego Station intensified public pressure. Protesters carried Ojwang’s coffin to the place he was last seen alive. They chanted demands for justice and accused police of hiding the truth.
