Chaos rock Ojwang’s funeral procession as youths torch police station in Homa Bay

Chaos erupted during the funeral procession for slain teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang on Thursday afternoon in Homa Bay County, after a group of irate youths intercepted the convoy transporting his body to his rural home in Kokwanyo Village ahead of his burial scheduled for Friday.

The youths demanded that the body be taken to Mawego Police Station where he was temporarily detained before he was taken to central police station in Nairobi where he died.

Attempts by Ojwang’s father to calm the group were unsuccessful, leading to a standoff that lasted nearly three hours.

The situation escalated when the youths forcefully removed the body from the hearse and carried it on their shoulders to the police station.

Upon arrival, they set parts of the station ablaze, vandalised the signpost, and dismantled security barricades.

County Police Commander Lawrence Koilem condemned the arson and confirmed that the police report office, the OCS’s office, and one staff house at Mawego Police Station were destroyed during the incident.

A planned public viewing of the body at Nyawango Primary School was also cancelled and the convoy proceeded directly to the family home.