Albert Ojwang funeral: Mourners torch Mawego Police Station
On Thursday, angry mourners set fire to the Mawego Police Station in Rachuonyo North, Homa Bay County, during the funeral service for the late teacher, Albert Ojwang.
The unrest erupted when mourners carrying Mr Ojwang’s body veered off the planned route of the funeral procession and stormed the police station, reportedly in an act of vengeance over his death in police custody.
Mr Ojwang died in Nairobi while in police custody. He had been detained at Mawego Police Station following his arrest at his parents’ home in Kakoth village on June 7, before being taken to Nairobi.
His funeral was due to take place at Nyawango Primary School, where lessons had been suspended to accommodate the expected large turnout. Tents had been set up for mourners to view the body in a solemn setting, but the day took a chaotic turn.
When the hearse arrived at Lida with a transparent panel allowing the coffin to be seen, the planned route to the family home was blocked. A group of agitated youths, joined by students from Mawego National Polytechnic, blocked the road and demanded that the body be taken first to Mawego Police Station.
A tense standoff then ensued at the trading centre, lasting more than two hours. The crowd chanted in Dholuo: “Onge ngʼat ma Albert osenego (Albert has never killed anyone)”.
The deceased’s father, Mr Meshack Opiyo, pleaded with the crowd to allow the body to proceed to the family home. Accompanied by his wife, Eucabeth Adhiambo, and Mr Ojwang’s widow, Nevinna Onyango, he addressed the mourners via a microphone mounted on a lorry’s public address system, but his pleas were drowned out by the chanting crowd.
Instead, the youths took the coffin out of the hearse and carried it on their shoulders for around three kilometres to the police station in Mawego.
Upon arrival, the situation escalated and residents began throwing stones at the building’s windows. The officers stationed there had already fled, leaving the building unguarded.
The crowd forced their way into the station, where they vandalised critical documents, including investigation files, the occurrence book and witness statements, by tearing them up. They also dismantled and carried away the station’s signpost and roadblock barriers.
While one group returned the body to Lida Market, another group remained behind and set fire to the police station.
A nearby permanent structure used as residential quarters for officers was also set alight. A contingent of police officers from surrounding stations soon arrived dressed in full anti-riot gear, but instead of confronting the mob they turned into firefighters.
They extinguished the fire with buckets and jugs, while others salvaged personal items, including uniforms, furniture, and electronics.
By 4pm, four police Land Cruisers had arrived to help secure the premises. It remains unclear whether any firearms or official uniforms were lost in the incident.
Homa Bay County Police Commander Lawrence Koilem confirmed that both the report office and the Officer Commanding Station’s office had been destroyed in the fire.
“We are awaiting a regional team to assess the extent of the damage,” he said.
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