Post-mortem reveals how Albert Ojwang died, exposes lies by police

A post-mortem on Albert Ojwang's body has revealed that his death was likely caused by assault and unlikely to be self-inflicted, which an initial statement from the police had implied following news of his death.

The first statement from the National Police Service (NPS) over the weekend had indicated that he "hit his head against a cell wall" while in custody.

However, according to lead pathologist Dr Bernard Midia, soft tissue injuries were observed on his body. Additionally, he said, there were signs of neck compression. 

“These injuries are consistent with external assault. There were also signs of a struggle,” he said Tuesday.

He added that while the exact timeline of the injuries was difficult to determine, they, however, occurred within a short span. 

“There was frontal bleeding in the brain, though the bleed was partially spread. This is unlikely to be self-inflicted,” he said.

'No more excuses'

Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Faith Odhiambo described the injuries as consistent with torture, accusing the perpetrators of extra-judicial execution.

“This is a crime unknown to law. Someone gave the order to pick him up from Homa Bay. Someone must be held accountable,” said Ms Odhiambo. 

“We will continue to pile pressure until every single officer involved is held personally liable. IPOA must act. We won’t accept more excuses.”

Ojwang's father: They assumed we didn't matter

In a heart-wrenching plea, Ojwang's father, who was at the presser, directly addressed the complainant in the case that led to his arrest in Homa Bay — Eluid Lagat, the Deputy Inspector-General of Police.

“Eliud Lagat, were you the one who sent your people? What did he do to deserve this? Why was my child crucified?” Meshack Ojwang asked.

“Even the police report was false. The autopsy tells the real story,” he said while calling on President William Ruto to intervene. 

“Help me as a taxpayer. They saw our home was humble and assumed we didn’t matter.”