Wednesday, June 11, 2025 - President William Ruto has addressed the death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody, describing it as "heartbreaking, unfortunate and unacceptable."
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the President strongly
rebuked the conduct of police officers involved, noting that any negligence or
criminal actions that contributed to Ojwang's death must be held to account.
“This tragic occurrence, at the hands of the police, is
unacceptable.”
“I strongly condemn the actions and omissions, including any
negligence or outright criminality, that may have contributed to his untimely
death,” read the statement.
Ruto reminded members of the National Police Service (NPS)
of their duty to ensure the safety and well-being of individuals once they are
in custody.
“When police officers take a person into custody, they
assume a tremendous responsibility for that person’s safety, security and
welfare,” he stated.
He called on the NPS to uphold professionalism, warning that
misconduct erodes public trust.
“The NPS must rise to the challenge of combating crime while
also eliminating misconduct within its ranks. They are custodians of public
security and must maintain credibility in the eyes of the people,” Ruto said.
The President urged full cooperation with the Independent
Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and called for a transparent and speedy
investigation into Ojwang’s death.
He appealed to the public to avoid rushing to judgment and
expressed confidence that justice would be served.
Ojwang died on June 8th while in custody at
Central Police Station.
Police had initially claimed that he succumbed to
self-inflicted injuries after banging his head on the cell wall but a
postmortem confirmed he had been tortured and strangled.
The Kenyan DAILY POST
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