NAIROBI, Kenya, Jun 23 – Central Police Officer Commanding Station Samson Talaam and two other police officers are set to be charged with the murder of Social Media influencer Albert Ojwang while in custody.
In a statement, the Director of Public Prosecutions stated that Talaam and two officers John Mukhwana and Peter Kimani will be charged on Monday afternoon alongside John Gitau, Gin Abwao, and Brian Njue.
The suspects were to be arraigned at the Kibera Law Courts at 2pm.
“The DPP has approved murder charges against six individuals, a comprehensive review of an inquiry file submitted by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA),” the statement read in part.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) was directed by the DPP on June 10 to investigate the incident after Ojwang’s post-mortem ruled out suicide .
IPOA identified five DCI officers involved in Ojwang’s arrest from Homa Bay to Nairobi acting on evidence of blood stained items, tampered CCTV footage and witness statements.
IPOA submitted its findings to the ODPP on June 22, prompting the DPP to convene a team of senior prosecutors to review the file.
“Upon receipt, the DPP immediately constituted a team of senior prosecutors to undertake a comprehensive review of the file,” the ODPP said.
“The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions remains committed to executing its constitutional mandate in accordance with the rule of law, public interest, and administration of justice,” he added.
IPOA, established under the IPOA Act of 2011, is mandated to investigate deaths and serious injuries arising from police actions. The authority has previously raised concerns about delays in the prosecution of officers implicated in fatal incidents.
Ojwang died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody on June 8.Ojwang had been arrested two days earlier in Homa Bay and transferred to Nairobi over allegations of defaming Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat through an online posts.
Ojwang was detained at Central Police Station. The next morning, he was found unconscious in his cell and later pronounced dead at Mbagathi Hospital.
Police initially claimed he had harmed himself in custody, but an autopsy reviewed by IPOA revealed multiple injuries inconsistent with suicide including blunt force trauma to the head, neck compression, and deep bruising across his body.