A new development has raised more questions in the mysterious death of Albert Omondi Ojwang, a blogger from Homa Bay County who died while in police custody.
His death has caused public anger and concern, especially after fresh details from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) painted a very different picture from what the police initially claimed.
DCI Director Amin Mohamed confirmed that Ojwang was already dead when he was taken to Mbagathi Hospital by officers from Nairobi Central Police Station. This contradicts earlier reports that he had died after receiving treatment at the hospital.
A postmortem report has added more weight to these doubts. The report showed that Ojwang suffered serious physical injuries before his death.
He had head trauma, signs of neck compression, multiple bruises, and a deep wound on his scalp. These injuries clearly suggest he was beaten, and not that he hurt himself, as earlier stated by the police.
The news has angered many Kenyans, including human rights groups and ordinary citizens. People are now accusing the police of carrying out an extrajudicial killing and then trying to cover it up.
Before his arrest, Ojwang had posted on his blog linking high-ranking police officers to corruption. He had alleged that Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat and Nairobi Area Police Commander Joseph Chirchir were involved in a shady deal involving a KSh 337 million luxury house in Dubai.
He claimed that the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) had opened investigations into the matter.
At first, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja claimed that Ojwang died after hitting his head on the wall inside his police cell. But the postmortem report and the DCI statement have proven this false. IG Kanja has now been forced to issue a public apology for misleading the public.
The case has taken another twist with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) revealing that CCTV footage from Nairobi Central Police Station was tampered with.
This has increased suspicion of a possible cover-up.
Now, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Central, Samson Talam, has become the main suspect. The DCI is investigating why he gave false information and did not share the true details of Ojwang’s condition at the time of arrest.
This case has once again reminded the country of the dangers of police brutality and the urgent need for accountability. Many are calling for an independent investigation and prosecution of all officers involved.
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