IPOA Grills 14 Police Officers Over Albert Ojwang’s Death
Detectives from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) have questioned at least 14 police personnel in connection with the murder of Albert Ojwang while in prison.
The police include members of Nairobi’s Central Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
The gang is among 18 people identified and summoned by the IPOA for questioning as part of an ongoing investigation into the murder.
Ojwang was slain while in police custody on June 7, following his arrest in Homabay County on charges of false publication.
The murder has sparked outrage, with everyone involved demanding accountability.
The police officials who handled him were summoned to the IPOA offices in Nairobi to explain what they knew about his death.
They spent the better part of Wednesday at the workplace. Some arrived with lawyers, while others arrived without legal assistance.
According to insiders, some police officials stated that Ojwang was already in critical condition when he arrived at the station.
They claim they tried to save his life after discovering he was deteriorating.
IPOA Vice Chairperson Ann Wanjiku: Honourable Members, these are the officers who arrested Mr Albert Ojwang in Homa Bay County. #SenateLive pic.twitter.com/oNAcuiPuQG
— Senate of Kenya (@Senate_KE) June 11, 2025
DCI officials claimed he was in good health when he turned up at the station at about 9.35 p.m. on Saturday.
Officer Commanding Central Police Station, Samson Taalam, who is at the center of the investigation, has also denied any role in Ojwang’s alleged torture and death.
Taalam claimed he was summoned after Ojwang had already been booked into detention.
He said that upon arriving, he discovered the suspect in poor health and took the initiative to rush him to the hospital.
IPOA is anticipated to report its findings to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and make recommendations on whether charges should be filed against the officers involved.
Taalam, through his lawyer Felix Keaton, has stated a desire to fully collaborate with IPOA, stating that he is dedicated to ensuring justice is done.
DCI chief Amin Mohammed had previously stated that Talam should be the primary suspect in the case.
Amin made the daring comment on Wednesday during a Senate hearing on Ojwang’s murder, which has sparked widespread outrage.
He stated that investigations have revealed that Taalam neglected to book Ojwang when he was presented at the station, raising major concerns about his actions and potential responsibility.
“It has further been confirmed that before the booking, the report office personnel called the OCS, and unfortunately, it is being said that he (Taalam) declined to book the suspect,” Amin told the Senate.
“Taalam is the Officer Commanding Central Police Station, and from the totality of things, he should be treated as the prime suspect in the matter.”
This has put the station commander at the center of the investigation.
According to Amin, Ojwang was transferred from Homa Bay to Central Police Station because the alleged incident occurred in Nairobi.
IPOA: Two witnesses have said they heard loud screams from Albert Ojwang's cell pic.twitter.com/bKngsx9dDZ
— NTV Kenya (@ntvkenya) June 11, 2025
The IPOA has taken up the investigation into the scandal. The DPP told the authorities seven days to forward the investigative file to his office for action.
IPOA has disclosed that the investigation into Albert Ojwang’s mysterious death has stalled due to a lack of critical CCTV footage from the Officer Commanding Station’s (OCS) office at the Central Police Station.
While testifying before the Senate on Wednesday, IPOA Vice Chair Anne Wanjiku stated that preliminary investigations into the assassination revealed that a film that might have aided in putting together the events at the police station was missing, creating additional doubts about the murder.
Senators are now asking why the CCTV footage is missing.
She also stated that the postmortem report on Ojwang’s body, together with the missing footage, rules out the idea of suicide, as previously claimed by the police.
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“CCTV systems at the OCS office had been interfered with, the postmortem conducted on June 10 revealed the cause of death as head injury due to blunt force trauma, neck compression and multiple subcutaneous bruises all over the body. They rule out the theory of suicide,” she noted.
Wanjiku further stated that as part of its pending tasks, IPOA has yet to transmit the gathered samples from the murder site and the deceased’s body for analysis.
IPOA will also gather medical records and results from Mbagathi Hospital, where Ojwang was pronounced dead, record statements from other potential witnesses and family members, and file a report with officers at the Central Police Station.
She also informed Senators that Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat filed a complaint with the DCI on June 4, stating that he had received malicious publications on an X account with the username Pixel Pioneer.
IPOA Grills 14 Police Officers Over Albert Ojwang’s Death
