New details have emerged in the investigation into the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang after Police Constable James Mukhwana reportedly admitted that he helped organise the assault that ended in Ojwang’s death while he was being held at Nairobi Central Police Station.
According to information presented to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority, Mukhwana said he acted on instructions passed to him by Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam.He claimed Talaam informed him that the directive had originated from Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, who allegedly wanted Ojwang disciplined following his arrest over social media posts.
Mukhwana told investigators he was instructed to recruit inmates to assault Ojwang and leave him with injuries serious enough to require hospital treatment.
He admitted giving one inmate KSh 2,000 to share among others before they carried out the attack.
He further stated that four inmates were selected to beat Ojwang inside his cell.
However, the assault became far more severe than intended.According to his account, Ojwang suffered extensive injuries, became unable to walk, and collapsed while bleeding after being moved to another cell.
The confession has intensified scrutiny over the actions of officers stationed at the police station and raised fresh questions about an alleged effort to conceal what happened.
Investigators are examining claims that official records disappeared and that normal police procedures were ignored.
Authorities have also established that surveillance footage was allegedly deleted after a police technician reportedly accepted KSh 3,000 to erase the recordings.
The case has already resulted in murder charges against six suspects, including Mukhwana and OCS Talaam.
Meanwhile, Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat has strongly denied the allegations through his lawyers, maintaining that the claims are false and unsupported by credible evidence.
He has since stepped aside to allow independent investigations to continue.
The death of Albert Ojwang has triggered widespread public outrage across Kenya, with many demanding accountability and justice.
Investigations by IPOA and the Internal Affairs Unit remain ongoing as authorities seek to establish the full chain of events and determine whether senior police officers played a role in the incident.