Albert Ojwang’s widow, Nevnina Onyango, has claimed that Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja and other leaders who pledged to support her family after her husband’s death have abandoned them.
Speaking more than a year after Ojwang died in police custody, Nevnina said many of the promises made publicly during the family’s darkest moments are yet to be fulfilled.
She said she remains jobless despite Sakaja’s pledge to offer her employment at Nairobi City County after completing her studies.
“When Albert died, many people came and promised to stand with us. Today, most of them are nowhere to be seen,” she said.
Following Ojwang’s death in June 2025, Sakaja met the family at City Hall and announced a package of support.
The governor promised to pay the burial expenses, educate Ojwang’s young son, help Nevnina complete her studies and offer her a county job after graduation. He also pledged to help the family establish rental houses in Homa Bay to provide a steady source of income.
However, Nevnina now says most of those commitments have not materialised, leaving the family to struggle on its own.
Her remarks echo concerns previously raised by Ojwang’s father, Meshack Ojwang, who said the donations received after his son’s death had been exhausted and that several promises made by leaders had not been honoured.
The latest claims are likely to pile pressure on Nairobi County and other leaders who publicly pledged support to explain the status of the commitments made to the family.
Ojwang’s death sparked nationwide outrage after an autopsy contradicted initial police claims and concluded that he died from injuries consistent with assault while in custody.
The murder trial against several suspects, including former Central Police Station OCS Samson Taalam, is still before the courts.
