The tragic death of social media influencer and teacher Albert Ojwang’ in police custody at Nairobi’s Central Police Station has ignited widespread public outrage and intense scrutiny, revealing a complex web of alleged murder and attempted cover-up. Ojwang’s demise, on June 8, 2025, sparked a national conversation about police accountability, with both local newspapers and parliamentary bodies delving into the disturbing details unearthed by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).

The sequence of events leading to Ojwang’s death began on June 4, 2025, when Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat, filed a complaint alleging continuous false and malicious publications on an X (formerly Twitter) account named Pixel Pioneer. The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) identified Albert Ojwang’ as the person of interest. He was subsequently arrested on June 7, 2025, at 2:30 p.m. in Homa Bay County by a DCI team. After initially being booked at Mawego Police Station, Ojwang’ was transferred and placed in custody at the Central Police Station in Nairobi. His neighbours in Malindi, where he resided, were shattered by the news, eulogizing him as a "people person" and an influential blogger who never insulted opponents.

IPOA’s preliminary investigations have pieced together a grim timeline of events within the police station. Officer James Mukhwana, the cell sentry and custodian of the keys to Ojwang’s cell, is a key figure under investigation. Evidence suggests that around 1:40 a.m. on June 8, 2025, Ojwang’ was found unresponsive in a pool of blood inside his cell. He was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival at 2:00 a.m. A medical report from Mbagathi Hospital detailed severe injuries, noting that Ojwang’s head and face were swollen, with blood oozing from the back of his head, mouth, and eyes. The report further described him as unresponsive, without spontaneous breathing, with a cold body, multiple bruises, a scalp cut on the parieto-occipital region, and bruises on his limbs. The medical officer confirmed he was "brought in dead." A post-mortem conducted on June 16, 2025, concluded the cause of death as a head injury due to blunt force trauma, neck compression, and multiple subcutaneous bruises all over the body.

The IPOA has unveiled concerted efforts to conceal the truth behind Ojwang’s death, pointing to a premeditated killing and an elaborate cover-up. Sources indicated that petty offenders were removed from Ojwang’s intended holding cell, and access was granted to his suspected killers. A senior officer reportedly stayed past his 8 p.m. shift until 3 a.m. to oversee the operation. Crucially, the CCTV system at the OCS’s office was allegedly tampered with: the DVR power cable was disconnected, and DVR logs showed operating discs had been changed and formatted on June 8, 2025, at 07:28:43hrs and 07:32:29hrs. Kelvin Mutisya Mutava, a technician who had installed the CCTV cameras, was arrested for allegedly tampering with the system for Sh3,000, though he claimed the DVR was already formatted when he returned to delete footage. IPOA further revealed that false entries were made in police records to mislead investigations, and Officer Mukhwana was in "constant communication with people within and outside the Central Police Station immediately before, during, and after the commission of the crime," indicating possible planning.

The investigation by IPOA points to a brutal assault inside the cells. Senior Assistant Director of Investigations at IPOA, Abdirahman Jibril, stated, "Our preliminary investigations have revealed that the Respondent (Mukhwana), together with other persons at the Central Police Station, brutally assaulted the deceased inside the cells, leading to his death." IPOA also suspects that four officers may have held Ojwang upright to create a false impression that he was alive when removed from his cell. The authority emphasized the complexity of the investigation, citing interference with the crime scene by Mukhwana and his colleagues to hide their involvement, and the "blue code of silence" among implicated officers.

In legal proceedings, Officer James Mukhwana was arraigned in court but not formally charged with murder. IPOA filed a miscellaneous application seeking to detain him for an additional 21 days to finalize investigations, arguing that his release on bail could lead to interference with witnesses, especially fellow police officers. Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondieki directed Mukhwana to be held at Capitol Hill Police Station until June 20, 2025, pending a ruling on IPOA’s application for extended detention. Chief Inspector Samson Talaam, the Officer Commanding Central Police Station, was also arrested in Eldoret and transported to Nairobi for interrogation, marking a significant breakthrough in the probe. DCI Director Mohamed Amin had identified Talaam as a main suspect. While DIG Eliud Lagat’s resignation was called for by some, IPOA chairperson Isaac Hassan clarified that Lagat was currently treated as a complainant, not a suspect.

Ojwang’s death has elicited considerable public anger and outrage, with protests erupting in Nairobi, including clashes between demonstrators and police during the government’s budget statement presentation on June 12, 2025. This event has resonated across the country, drawing attention from the Senate, the National Assembly, and even the President of the Republic of Kenya. IPOA continues to request Mukhwana’s extended remand to allow for retrieval and forensic analysis of CCTV data, seizure of police documents, forensic examination of suspects’ mobile phones, completion of sample analysis from the Government Chemist, and further witness interviews, stressing that his continued detention is "in the interest of justice and the rule of law" to ensure independent and impartial investigations.