Contrary to what has been circulating online, the family lawyer for the late blogger Albert Ojwang has stated that the family never received Ksh10 million from a single person.
Ojwang's family lawyer, Julius Juma, spoke at Ridgeways Baptist Church on Thursday, July 2, during the requiem mass of the late blogger, where he addressed the millions received by the family in the wake of Ojwang's death.
"It has been said or shared on various media channels that Mzee received KSh10 million," he said. "I have been asked to set the record straight, and I am doing so on the pulpit."
According to the family lawyer, the total monetary support received by the family was just shy of Ksh5.1 million. This includes the amounts received from President William Ruto and ODM Party leader Raila Odinga.
The lawyer went on, "The family wishes to confirm that they received Ksh2 million from the Head of State, Ksh1 million from Honourable Raila Odinga and Ksh2 million from Kenyans who gave in the form of Ksh1, Ksh10, and Ksh100 shillings, totalling Ksh5,060,000."
Ojwang passed away in controversial circumstances on June 8, with his death sparking nationwide outrage and protests in the subsequent weeks.
The blogger's family has also had to grapple with a wave of pressure on social media, particularly after it emerged that Ojwang's father received a personal phone call from the president.
Claims that the family received Ksh10 million purely from Kenyans' donations were initially debunked by Ojwang's family spokesperson on June 24, as he clarified that the public misinterpreted comedian-turned-activist Eric Omondi's statement.
The spokesperson said that Eric Omondi only gave estimates of what could be raised based solely on the momentum that had been generated following the initial Ksh2 million raise.
Meanwhile, Ojwang will be laid to rest on July 4 at his father's home in Kakwonyo Village, Homa Bay County.
As far as investigations into Ojwang's death, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) approved murder charges against Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, Police Constables James Mukhwana and Peter Kimani, and three others.
Last week, OCS Talaam and the other defendants attempted to have their murder trial postponed, but High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi denied their request.
Instead, the judge allowed a request by the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to transfer the case to the High Court in Kibera, where an active murder trial against Talaam and Police Constable James Mukhwana is already ongoing.
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