At least 14 police officers have been grilled by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) detectives over the mysterious death of Albert Ojwang while in police custody. Ojwang was arrested in Homa Bay County on June 7 over allegations of false publication and later transferred to the Central Police Station in Nairobi. He died shortly after, sparking public outrage and calls for accountability.
Those questioned include officers from the Central Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI). IPOA has identified 18 officers linked to the case, with 14 already appearing before investigators. Some officers claimed Ojwang was in critical condition upon arrival, while DCI officers maintained he was in stable health when handed over at 9:35 pm.
The Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Taalam has come under scrutiny after DCI boss Amin Mohammed named him as the prime suspect. During a Senate grilling, Amin said Taalam allegedly declined to book Ojwang, raising serious questions about his conduct. Taalam, through his lawyer, has denied any wrongdoing and expressed willingness to cooperate with the investigation.
IPOA Vice Chair Anne Wanjiku told the Senate that the investigation has been hampered by missing CCTV footage from the OCS office, further deepening suspicions. She revealed that the footage had been interfered with, and a postmortem conducted on June 10 ruled out suicide, citing head injuries from blunt force trauma, neck compression, and multiple bruises on Ojwang’s body.
IPOA is also collecting medical records from Mbagathi Hospital, where Ojwang was pronounced dead, and intends to record statements from potential witnesses and family members. The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has given IPOA seven days to forward its findings.
The incident traces back to a complaint made by Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat on June 4 about malicious publications from an X account named Pixel Pioneer. Ojwang had been accused in relation to the post, prompting his arrest and eventual transfer to Nairobi.
The case has ignited national debate on police brutality and the integrity of law enforcement.
