Fresh Protests Erupt in Nairobi CBD As Youths Engage Police Demanding Justice For Ojwang

Nairobi, Kenya, June 17 – Police clashed with protesters in Nairobi’s Central Business District on Tuesday as hundreds of demonstrators took to the streets to demand justice for Albert Omondi Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and blogger who was murdered in police custody.

Chanting slogans and waving placards with Ojwang’s image and those of other young victims of police brutality, the demonstrators called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat, whom they blame for Ojwang’s death. Some placards read: “Prosecute Lagat!” and “Justice for Ojwang and all Gen Z victims.”

They said Lagat’s announcement that he had “stepped aside” is not enough because it is his complaint and orders that led to Ojwang’s murder.

Riot police deployed early in the morning around key locations, including the National Archives, Kencom, and Parliament Road. Tensions escalated shortly after 10:00 a.m., when officers lobbed teargas canisters to disperse the crowds. Several city roads were briefly blocked, and many businesses remained shut amid fears of unrest.

“I came here because Albert was one of us. He used his voice to speak for the voiceless. Now the same system he criticised has taken his life,” said 23-year-old protester Cynthia Achieng. “We won’t let this go silent. We want Lagat behind bars.”

Ojwang, a high school teacher and vocal critic of government excesses on social media, was arrested in Homa Bay on June 6 for allegedly defaming DIG Lagat in a series of online posts. He was transported to Nairobi Central Police Station, where he was murdered.

Police initially claimed he collapsed in the cells after hitting his head on a wall, but a postmortem conducted by government pathologists ruled out suicide. It found Ojwang had suffered blunt force trauma to the head, neck compression, and multiple soft tissue injuries consistent with an assault.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since identified 17 officers involved in Ojwang’s arrest, transfer, and detention as suspects in an active murder investigation. Three officers, including Central Police Station OCS Samson Talam, a police constable, and a civilian CCTV technician, have been arrested so far.

Under growing pressure, Lagat issued a statement on Monday announcing he had “stepped aside” to allow for independent investigations. However, civil society groups and legal experts have dismissed the move as inadequate.

“Stepping aside is not justice. It’s not accountability,” said Hussein Khalid, Executive Director of VOCAL Africa. “Lagat must be arrested and charged with murder. Anything less is an insult to the rule of law.”

Former Chief Justice David Maraga echoed those sentiments, calling the move insufficient: “Stepping aside is a first step. What must follow is resignation, arrest, and prosecution.”

Another protester, Brian Kimathi, said, “If nothing happens to Lagat, then what happened to Ojwang will happen to the next person who posts something online. We are not safe until justice is served.”

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula have both urged calm and called for expedited investigations, while President William Ruto has condemned Ojwang’s death, stating that “criminals in uniform must be held accountable.”

As the country grapples with yet another case of alleged extrajudicial killing, the youth-led protests signal a growing frustration with state institutions and an emboldened demand for systemic reform in the country’s security sector.

“We will come back here tomorrow if we must,” said 20-year-old student Daniel Okoth. “We are the new generation and we won’t be silenced.”