IPOA Summons 14 Officers as Probe Into Albert Ojwang’s Death in Police Custody Intensifies

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has escalated its investigation into the death of Albert Ojwang, a 35-year-old teacher and social media influencer who died while in police custody on June 7, 2025.

So far, 14 officers—including personnel from Nairobi’s Central Police Station and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI)—have been summoned for questioning, with IPOA confirming the wider probe involves 18 identified individuals.

Ojwang’s arrest in Homa Bay County over allegations of false publication and his subsequent transfer to Nairobi have sparked national outrage, triggering calls for justice and police accountability.

On Wednesday, the officers appeared at IPOA’s Nairobi offices to record statements. While some were accompanied by legal counsel, others came alone. Sources say several officers claimed Ojwang was already in poor health when he arrived at the station and that efforts were made to assist him. In contrast, DCI officers insisted he was in stable condition when handed over around 9:35 PM on the night of his death.

The Officer Commanding Central Police Station (OCS), Samson Taalam, a central figure in the investigation, denied any involvement in Ojwang’s alleged torture or death. According to Taalam, he was only notified after Ojwang had been booked and said he personally arranged for his hospital transfer upon finding him in deteriorating condition.

However, a key obstacle has emerged in the form of missing CCTV footage from the OCS’s office—footage that IPOA says could have shed light on the events surrounding Ojwang’s final hours. During a Senate session on Wednesday, IPOA Vice Chair Anne Wanjiku revealed that early findings suggest the footage had been tampered with.

A postmortem conducted on June 10 revealed Ojwang died from blunt force trauma to the head, neck compression, and multiple bruises, directly contradicting earlier police claims of suicide.

Wanjiku outlined IPOA’s next steps, including forensic analysis of the crime scene, examination of medical records from Mbagathi Hospital (where Ojwang was declared dead), and further interviews with witnesses and family members.

Despite the gravity of the allegations, OCS Taalam’s lawyer, Felix Keaton, said his client is cooperating fully with IPOA and is committed to ensuring justice is served.

Yet during the same Senate hearing, DCI Director Amin Mohammed named Taalam as the prime suspect in the case. He told senators that Taalam initially refused to book Ojwang, despite being contacted by the report desk officers—a decision now under serious scrutiny.

“It has been confirmed that the report office called the OCS, but he declined to proceed with the booking,” Mohammed told the Senate. “Given his position as station commander, Taalam remains a key suspect in the case.”

Ojwang’s transfer from Homa Bay to Nairobi was reportedly due to the alleged offence being linked to a post made while in the capital.

IPOA is expected to submit its findings and recommendations to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) within seven days, potentially paving the way for criminal charges.

Meanwhile, a complaint lodged on June 4 by Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat—regarding a malicious X account named “Pixel Pioneer”—is now emerging as a significant thread in the broader investigation, further complicating the unfolding saga.