Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has pledged unwavering support for the family of the late blogger Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody after his arrest over a contentious social media post.
On Wednesday, June 12, Governor Sakaja hosted Ojwang’s family at City Hall, where he met his parents, widow, and two-year-old son. During the emotional visit, the Governor revealed that Ojwang had been a trusted member of his digital communications team.
“I have known Albert for a long time,” Sakaja stated. “If you go through his Facebook and Twitter accounts, you’ll see he was one of my personal influencers. We will walk with his family on this journey.”
The Governor committed to covering the full cost of Ojwang’s burial and pledged to sponsor the education of his young son, George Miles. Additionally, he promised to clear the outstanding college tuition for Ojwang’s widow, who is currently pursuing a diploma in community health.
“This young man deserves justice,” Sakaja declared. “We will make sure his son has a future and his widow finishes her studies.”
Sakaja further committed to offering the widow employment with the Nairobi County Government once she completes her course.
“She’s in her final semester. Once she graduates, we will ensure she gets a job with the County,” he said.
As part of a broader gesture of support, Sakaja announced plans to rally friends and partners to help the family purchase land in Homa Bay and build rental units for Ojwang’s parents. The move is intended to provide them with a sustainable source of income.
“We want real justice for Albert,” Sakaja added. “His son George is too young to understand what has happened, and he will never see his father again. As a country, we cannot continue like this.”
Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay on Friday, June 7, over allegations of “false publication” and was later transferred to Nairobi. He was held at Central Police Station, where officers claimed he had been found unconscious after allegedly injuring himself.
However, a postmortem conducted by five pathologists has since disputed the police version. The autopsy revealed that Ojwang suffered severe head injuries, neck compression, and multiple soft tissue bruises—signs consistent with physical assault.
Police had initially alleged that Ojwang repeatedly struck his head against a wall in the cell, but the autopsy results have cast serious doubt on that account and raised new questions about the events that led to his death in custody.
