Homa Bay Town MP George Peter Kaluma has strongly defended the students and local community members, asserting they had no role in torching the station. He alleged that “goons ferried from Nairobi” were responsible for the arson.
The goons who have burnt Mawego Police Station were ferried from Nairobi,” Kaluma posted on his official X (formerly Twitter) account Thursday evening.
Kaluma emphasized that students of Mawego National Polytechnic and area residents have lived peacefully with the police station for years, even amid the recent outrage over Ojwang’s death.
Our students from Mawego and across our land didn’t burn the Station. They have lived with the Station all these years, and even after our son Albert Ojwang was killed,” he stated.
Timeline of Events Leading to the Incident
Albert Ojwang was reportedly arrested at his father’s home in Homa Bay County in June before being detained at Mawego Police Station. He was later transferred to Nairobi, where he died while in custody at Central Police Station. His death has sparked public outcry and renewed calls for accountability over deaths in police custody.
The protest that led to Thursday’s incident was part of a larger wave of public mourning and anger over Ojwang’s death. Video clips widely shared online show mourners walking with Ojwang’s casket, chanting for justice, and confronting the police station in a dramatic show of defiance.
Additional police forces were deployed to the scene but were unable to save most of the property and documents lost in the blaze.
Ongoing Investigations
As of Friday morning, authorities had not confirmed any arrests in connection with the arson. Investigations are expected to determine the identities of those behind the attack, even as political leaders continue to issue conflicting narratives about who was responsible.
This incident adds to mounting national concern about police brutality, extrajudicial killings, and the government’s response to growing protests demanding reform in Kenya’s criminal justice system.
