Likoni MP Mishi Mboko/SCREENGRABTwo MPs from the Coast have urged leaders to amplify the voices of civil society in demanding justice following the death of Albert Ojwang’ in police custody.
In a statement, lawmakers Mishi Mboko (Likoni) and Amina Mnyazi (Malindi) pleaded with leaders not to be complicit by keeping silent.
“The blood of Albert Ojwang cries out for accountability. We must amplify the voices of civil society Amnesty Kenya, the Law Society of Kenya, HAKI Africa, and countless others who stand with Albert's family,” they said.
The two MPs said leaders must honour the youth marching in protests stating that it reminds all Kenyans that the fight for human rights is the fight for the country’s future.
“This is not a Homa Bay issue or a Nairobi issue; it is a Kenyan issue, a human issue.”
The two called on investigative agencies to expedite investigations, deliver justice, and protect rights “for Albert, Kenya and humanity.”
“The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the
Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) must expedite their
investigations without fear or favour. Every day that passes without answers is
a day justice is delayed, and justice delayed is justice denied,” the MPs added.
Ojwang's death has sparked outrage across the country. He was arrested following a complaint by the deputy police chief, who accused him of tarnishing his name on social media.
Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay on Friday over a post on X that was allegedly critical of the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat.
He was subsequently transferred to Nairobi and booked into the Central Police Station on Saturday.
According to IG Douglas Kanja, Ojwang was arrested after Lagat filed a complaint that his name was being "tarnished".
Kanja has since announced that senior officers at Nairobi's Central Police Station had been "interdicted".
In the statement, Mboko and Mnyazi said the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s death raise questions about the state of human rights in Kenya.
“Let it be clear that Albert's death is a grave human rights violation. Discrepancies in the police timeline, the disappearance of Albert's social media accounts, and the refusal to allow his family access to the cell where he died deepen our distrust.”
