Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has condemned the infiltration of goons in the Nairobi Central Business District (CBD) amid protests demanding justice for Albert Ojwang.
In a statement on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, Salasya stated that the infiltration exposes the incompetence in the National Police Service (NPS).
“Who paid these goons to take over Nairobi CBD like this? We should not encourage this in the future; the CBD can’t be controlled by paid goons. It’s not safe and healthy for any successful government. This again exposes the police service as incompetent officers who can’t contain demonstrations professionally,” he stated.
This is following a confrontation between police, protesters, and a seemingly hired group of youths riding motorcycles that ensued.
Before police dispersed crowds of protesters who were marching in the city streets, especially University Way, a group of youths arrived to fight off protesters.
Some youths continued with their protests as police watched from a distance, with the goons carrying whips, terrorising other protesters and bystanders alike.
According to a statement on June 17, 2025, by vocal activist Hanifa Adan, she was beaten up by goons who also took her mobile device.
“One of the goons beat me up and took my phone, and I caught his jacket trying to get my phone back as he continued bodying me. Other people joined and caught him; I took my phone, and he got beaten up!” she said.
Ojwang’s murder has reignited nationwide outrage over police brutality and renewed calls for deep-rooted reforms and accountability in the security sector.
The protestors carried placards bearing Ojwang’s image and chanted slogans, with some demanding the arrest of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the National Police Service (NPS), Eliud Lagat, who filed the complaint against the deceased, leading to his arrest.
Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay County on June 6, 2025, over defamation of DIG Lagat. He was transported more than 350 kilometres to Nairobi’s Central Police Station, where he was found dead.
On Monday, June 16, 2025, pressure mounted on Lagat, whose complaint led to the arrest, as civil society leaders, lawyers, and political figures dismissed his stepping aside as cosmetic and demanded his immediate arrest and prosecution.
Lagat eventually stepped aside, paving the way for investigations into the matter.
