Senator Veronica Maina is raising serious concerns after the sudden disappearance of a social media account belonging to Albert Ojwang’, a young Kenyan who was recently arrested over a viral post.
Ojwang’s account on X, previously known as Twitter, went by the name Alberto Januzaj. It now shows a “suspended” status, and many Kenyans are asking why the account was deleted and who was responsible for taking it down.
The timing of this removal has made the situation even more suspicious, especially since it followed Ojwang’s arrest.Speaking in the Senate, Senator Maina demanded answers from both local authorities and the X platform.
She questioned how such important digital evidence could disappear right when it was needed most. She stressed that the deleted account might have had key information that could show whether Ojwang actually made the post in question or if he was being wrongly accused.
According to reports, Ojwang’ was arrested after a post referring to a senior police officer as a “mafia cop” went viral. The post had gained attention during recent anti-government protests, but no one has confirmed if Ojwang himself posted it.Senator Maina pointed out the danger of losing digital records in such sensitive cases. She questioned whether the account was removed by the platform for its own reasons or whether local authorities may have interfered to delete it.
She said that this could be a case of digital evidence being erased, which would seriously affect the fairness of Ojwang’s case. She called on the platform and Kenyan authorities to be transparent and provide clear answers.
Kenyans, she said, deserve to know the truth.The police have so far remained silent on the issue, giving no official statement about why Ojwang’ was arrested or whether he is being charged. This silence has only made things worse, with some Kenyans now believing that state security agents might have had a hand in deleting the account. Many see this as a way of hiding abuse of power or silencing voices that speak out against the government.
A Nairobi resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said it is worrying that someone can be arrested over a social media post and then all digital proof is wiped out. Civil society groups are now calling on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to look into the matter.
They want to find out whether the arrest was lawful and whether the account’s deletion followed any legal procedure.So far, X has not explained why the account was suspended. Ojwang’s supporters are still waiting for clear communication from the company and from government agencies.
According to them, this is not just about Albert Ojwang’. It is about the right of every Kenyan to speak freely without fear and to be protected from possible abuse. Senator Maina concluded that the fight for justice in this case is not just for one person, but for all citizens who believe in truth and accountability.
