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Why Protecting Bloggers Is Crucial to Democracy and a Just Society

The death of Kenyan blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody is not only a national tragedy it is a warning to democracies worldwide. 

His arrest, suspicious death, and the subsequent attempt by authorities to label it a suicide despite an independent autopsy pointing to assault are deeply alarming. 

More than just a case of alleged police brutality, this incident represents a disturbing attack on freedom of expression and the right to hold power to account.

The role of bloggers, independent journalists, and digital activists has become more important than ever in our rapidly evolving global information landscape. 

In many parts of the world including Kenya bloggers serve as watchdogs, challenging narratives, exposing corruption, and giving voice to marginalized communities. 

When a state fails to protect these voices or worse, silences them it not only betrays its democratic principles but undermines the collective right of the public to be informed.

At the core of this issue is Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), which guarantees everyone “the right to freedom of opinion and expression.” This includes the right to “seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers.” 

It is this right that makes a well-informed society possible. Without it, public discourse stagnates, corruption festers, and citizens are denied their most powerful tool: the truth.

Kenya’s democratic gains in recent decades have been fragile. While the constitution protects freedom of expression, enforcement has often been selective or repressive. Bloggers and online activists frequently face harassment, intimidation, and arbitrary arrests. 

In Ojwang’s case, the fact that he died while in police custody just days after being detained casts a long shadow over any claims of state accountability. When police officers who are supposed to serve and protect become enforcers of silence, democratic institutions begin to crumble.

However, this problem is far from unique to Kenya. Across the globe, from the Philippines to Russia, from Egypt, governments have increasingly weaponized law enforcement, anti-cybercrime laws, and national security rhetoric to suppress digital dissent. 

The rise of authoritarian populism, disinformation, and state surveillance has made bloggers and independent media especially vulnerable. Their protection, therefore, must become a global human rights priority.

Bloggers often operate without the institutional protections that traditional journalists enjoy no legal teams, no editorial boards, no media houses to back them up. Yet their impact can be just as profound. 

In rural Kenya, for instance, bloggers are often the first to report on land grabs, misappropriation of public funds, or abuses of power by local officials. In many parts of the world, digital media is the only platform available for marginalized voices. 

Silencing these voices not only robs individuals of their rights but robs entire communities of their dignity and democratic participation.

When a blogger dies in custody and authorities first respond with a cover-up, it demonstrates a culture of impunity that should alarm every citizen. The apology offered by Kenyan police while necessary is not enough. Justice must be served. 

Those responsible must be held accountable, and structural reforms within the police force must follow. Without justice, apologies are meaningless.

International pressure also plays a critical role. Human rights organizations, foreign governments, and multilateral bodies must raise their voices and take tangible action. 

Whether it’s by calling for transparent investigations, supporting independent media, or conditioning aid on human rights compliance, the global community has a moral responsibility to defend freedom of expression wherever it is under threat.

 Moreover, the tech platforms where much of this discourse happens Facebook, X, YouTube must recognize their part. When they allow governments to dictate content removals or fail to protect activists from doxxing and threats, they too become complicit. 

A free internet must not just be about access it must be about safety, fairness, and resistance against censorship.

Albert Ojwang’s death should not be in vain. It should galvanize reform, not only in Kenya’s criminal justice and media landscape but also in the global understanding of how vital bloggers and online voices are to democracy. 

A well-informed society doesn’t happen by accident it is built on the back of brave individuals who speak truth to power, often at great personal risk. Their protection is not optional. It is essential.

Silencing dissent may serve those in power in the short term, but it ultimately weakens the state, damages credibility, and fosters deeper social unrest. Only through transparency, accountability, and an unwavering commitment to human rights can a society truly thrive.

As we mourn the loss of Albert Ojwang, let us also honour his courage by insisting that freedom of expression, as enshrined in the UDHR, is not just an ideal but a right that must be defended, everywhere and always.

Kuala Lumpur.

14.06.2025

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