ODM MP Reveals Alleged Plot Behind Mawego Police Station Fire
Just hours after a group of enraged youths, carrying the body of the late teacher and social media activist Albert Ojwang, set parts of Mawego Police Station on fire, Homa Bay Town MP Peter Kaluma has spoken out in defense of local residents.
Kaluma distanced area youth from the incident, claiming those responsible were not from Homa Bay but had been brought in from elsewhere.
Through a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account on Thursday evening, the outspoken lawmaker alleged that the arson was not the work of local students or youths, but instead the act of individuals transported from the capital city.
“The people who set Mawego Police Station on fire were not from here; they were goons ferried from Nairobi,” Kaluma claimed.
He went on to firmly defend the students of Mawego National Polytechnic and the larger community in Homa Bay, saying they were not involved in the destruction of the police facility.
Kaluma stressed that the students and local youth have coexisted peacefully with the police for many years and had no reason to burn down the station, even after the tragic death of Ojwang.
“Our students from Mawego and across our community did not burn the station,” Kaluma stated. “They have lived alongside that station for years and have always cooperated with the police. Even after the heartbreaking death of our son, Albert Ojwang, they did not act violently.”
On Wednesday afternoon, tensions boiled over when a large group of young people, carrying Ojwang’s body, marched to Mawego Police Station—the place where he was first detained.
The procession was initially peaceful, with mourners demanding justice for the deceased. Many carried placards and were visibly emotional as they approached the station.
Several videos shared widely on social media showed the coffin being carried through the streets by mourners. Crowds could be seen chanting, holding signs, and confronting the police post in protest.
The scene quickly drew attention online, adding to the national outrage over Ojwang’s death.
Before the group arrived, police officers reportedly abandoned the station, leaving it completely unmanned. This lack of security opened the door for chaos to erupt.
What had started as a peaceful demonstration quickly turned violent as the emotionally overwhelmed youths set the station ablaze.
Flames engulfed critical areas of the police post, including the office of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), and destroyed important documents such as the occurrence book and key witness statements.
Though police reinforcements were eventually deployed to the scene, they arrived too late to save most of the infrastructure. By then, the station was already in ruins.
Albert Ojwang had been arrested last month from his father’s home and taken to Mawego Police Station. From there, he was transferred to Nairobi. Sadly, he died while in custody at the Central Police Station in Nairobi under unclear circumstances.
The recent violence has sparked national attention, especially with Ojwang’s burial scheduled to take place on July 4 in his family’s home in Kokwanyo village, Homa Bay County. Emotions remain high as citizens continue to demand accountability and transparency in the case surrounding his death.
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