Embakasi East Member of Parliament Babu Owino has written a poetic letter in memory of the late Albert Ojwang, a Kenyan teacher who died in police custody under controversial circumstances.

In the poetic piece titled “Hello Mr. Principal,” Babu Owino channels the voice of Ojwang himself, telling a story of a life cut short not by illness or accident, but, as the poem suggests, by the very hands that are meant to protect him.

“I won’t be coming. Not because I’m sick. Not because I quit. But because I died, in the hands of those who swore to protect me,” reads the second stanza.

Albert Ojwang had traveled home in Homa Bay to visit his family, and that is when he was arrested by police officers under unclear circumstances.

According to the poetic tribute, he died while in police custody, a tragedy that has brought up a lot of questions about police brutality, justice, and the protection of human rights in Kenya.

They said, ‘Come with us, just a small matter to discuss.’ But their vehicle roared like war. Their mission had no mercy. They didn’t come to ask. They came to silence,” reads the fourth stanza.

Babu Owino, has used his platform to demand accountability and remembrance for the late teacher, urging Kenyans not to forget the names and faces of those who suffer under institutional abuse.

“So tell the students not to wait for me. Tell them that Mr. Albert won’t be back. Not because he failed them. But because this country failed him.”

The poetic letter mourns the silencing of Ojwang, a man described as armed with only a phone and a voice of truth.

“From now on, I’ll be marking papers in silence,“ six feet under, while justice plays hide and seek above ground.”