Teacher dies in custody after arrest over social media post

Police are probing the death of Albert Ojwang, a teacher and social media influencer, who passed away while in custody shortly after his arrest in Migori town on Saturday, June 7.

The arrest was related to a post he made on X.

Ojwang had traveled to Migori County to visit relatives when he was reportedly detained by officers connected to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.

Officials described the post in question as “derogatory.”

Following his arrest, Ojwang was transferred to Nairobi and held at the Nairobi Central Police Station.

Stephen Okal, the officer in charge of Nairobi Central Police, stated that Ojwang died by suicide after harming himself while alone in his cell.

"He was quickly taken to the hospital following what appears to have been a suicide attempt. He had sustained head injuries and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead. His death did not occur while in police custody," Okal told the Star.

Ojwang suffered severe head wounds believed to be self-inflicted.

Despite being transported to the hospital, he was declared dead upon arrival.

His body has been transferred to the mortuary, where a post-mortem examination is planned to determine the precise cause of death.