The re-arrest and charging of eight individuals from Homa Bay with terrorism after protesting the suspicious death of Albert Ojwang shows how far the state is willing to go to silence dissent.
These citizens carried the body of their fellow villager to the Mawego police station, not to commit violence but to demand answers. They were first released by a court, but what followed exposed a system more interested in intimidation than justice.
The state transferred them to Nairobi, far from their homes, and labelled them terrorists. Such actions don’t look like the pursuit of justice; they look like punishment for speaking out.
Albert Ojwang, a teacher and blogger, died after being arrested for criticizing a senior police officer to be specific Eliud Lagat.
His death in custody, with autopsy results showing signs of assault, confirmed what many feared he didn’t just die, he was killed. Instead of investigating this properly, the system turned against those mourning him.
Among them was Onyango, who was also re-arrested and charged with terrorism. These charges have no basis in reality, but they serve one purpose to scare others into silence.
It is shocking that the magistrate in charge of these terrorism hearings, identified as Koech, allowed such a case to proceed.
By entertaining baseless terrorism charges tied to a community’s grief, Koech has helped turn the courtroom into a tool of state oppression.
His role is not just administrative it carries real consequences for the lives of innocent people. It is the judiciary’s duty to defend the law, not enable its abuse. When a judge entertains such exaggerated charges, they become part of the problem.
Anwar Saddat and others online have documented this case with clarity, pointing out how power is being used to crush even the smallest acts of protest. Saddat’s updates show a state growing bolder in its attacks on its own people, while those meant to offer checks judges like Koech stand by or help it along.
What happened in Homa Bay is not just a local matter. It is a clear warning that the misuse of power can escalate fast when institutions fail.
Charging mourners with terrorism is not governance. It’s fear politics. And every official enabling it from those signing arrest orders to those hearing the cases will have to reckon with their role in pushing Kenya away from democracy and into repression.
