The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) is looking into the death of Albert Ojwang. They found that the CCTV camera at the Central Police Station was tampered with.
In a meeting with the Senate on Wednesday, IPOA said their early findings do not support the idea that Ojwang died by suicide. Anne Wanjiku from IPOA stated that both the autopsy report and their investigation suggest that Ojwang’s death was not a suicide.
Wanjiku mentioned that IPOA first learned about Ojwang’s death through news reports and a message from the Inspector General of Police. They quickly began their investigation and have completed several important steps.
These steps included visiting the scene to gather evidence, analyzing blood samples, and collecting police documents from the Central Police Station.
IPOA also took the CCTV recording device from the station for analysis, spoke to all five DCI officers who were involved in Ojwang’s arrest, attended the autopsy, and obtained a copy of the autopsy report.
Additionally, IPOA reached out to Ojwang’s family, identified possible witnesses, and collected police records from Mawego and Central Police Stations. They also obtained biological samples from Ojwang, which will be sent for further testing, and recorded a statement from another person who was held at the Central Police Station.
Wanjiku told the Senate that IPOA is now working to complete more tasks, including sending all collected samples for analysis, interviewing more witnesses and officers from Central Police Station, starting this morning at IPOA headquarters, and gathering medical records from Mbagathi Hospital, with updates expected by the end of the day.
After completing these tasks, IPOA will review all the evidence and put together a complete report.
Here is a timeline of the important events leading to Ojwang’s arrest and death:
- June 4, 2025: DIG Eliud Lagat files a complaint with DCI, mentioning Kelvin Muinde.
- June 5, 2025: Muinde is arrested and held at Kamukunji Police Station.
- June 7, 2025: Ojwang is arrested in Homa Bay and taken to Mawego, then to Central Police Station in Nairobi.
- June 8, 2025: Ojwang is declared dead at Mbagathi Hospital, and IPOA is informed through media reports and police messages.
Wanjiku emphasized that IPOA is committed to ensuring justice. “Our job is to oversee police actions in crime matters. We are taking the investigation into Ojwang’s death very seriously,” she said. The investigation is ongoing.
