Nairobi Women Representative Esther Passaris speaking in Parliament on June 10, 2025 /SCREENGRAB
Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has urged Kenyans to remain calm as investigations continue into the death of blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody last week.
Ojwang was arrested on June 7 at his home in Homa Bay over a social media post allegedly defaming Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.
He was taken to Nairobi’s Central Police Station, where he died the following day. The incident has sparked public outrage, with many calling for accountability and justice.
Speaking in Parliament on Tuesday, Passaris described Ojwang’s death as tragic and urged Kenyans to avoid violence.
She acknowledged that some social media users had called for attacks on police stations and politicians but cautioned against such actions.
“The autopsy results are out, and they show that he went through a brutal death, and it is sad. We are in a month where we want reparation and healing. We want this country to move forward,” Passaris said.
“It is not all the policemen. I have seen on social media people calling for the burning of police stations and attacking politicians. I want Kenyans to understand we are in this together. The police service is not all bad; it is there to serve us.”
Passaris also called on the government to address the rot within the police service and ensure those responsible for Ojwang’s death are held accountable.
She extended her condolences to Ojwang’s family and urged a thorough, transparent probe.
“I know that this is going to anger a lot of Kenyans. What I ask for is absolute expedition of the investigations, and I ask the police for once to stand with Kenyans, to stand for justice, and to change their ways,” she said.
“If we try and play around with this case, it will not be good.”
Initially, police claimed that Ojwang died after striking his head against a wall, but an official postmortem revealed he died from blunt-force trauma to the head and neck compression, with other injuries across his body.
The death has drawn widespread condemnation. ODM leader Raila Odinga has demanded answers on who authorised Ojwang’s transfer to Nairobi, warning that such deaths undermine trust in the police and state institutions.
“Such deaths… seriously erode the authority and credibility of the police and the state, and that is a significant step towards chaos and collapse,” Odinga said.
The Digital Content Creators Association of Kenya described Ojwang as “a voice of the youth” and called his death “a grave violation of human rights.”
Meanwhile, several MPs have urged leaders to elevate the voices of civil society and ensure an impartial investigation is conducted.