The publication revealed that a closed-door meeting between the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the National Assembly’s Security Committee revealed disturbing details about the death of blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang at Nairobi’s Central Police Station.

Sources who attended the session told the paper that IPOA believes Ojwang’s killing was premeditated, with the plan set in motion as soon as he was transported from Homa Bay to Nairobi.

Before his arrival, petty offenders were reportedly removed from his intended holding cell, and access was given to his suspected killers.

IPOA is investigating a senior officer who stayed past his 8pm shift until 3am, allegedly to oversee the operation. That officer has recorded a statement and is believed to have said he “had a job to do.”

Ojwang was arrested following a complaint by Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Lagat over alleged defamatory posts on Ojwang’s X account.

He was in good health when he called his wife after arriving at the station. Hours later, he was isolated, interrogated, and allegedly tortured until he became unresponsive.

A technician reportedly deleted key CCTV footage, and IPOA says four officers may have held Ojwang upright to falsely show he was alive when removed from his cell.

A medical report from Mbagathi Hospital confirms he arrived dead, with visible bruises.

Police Constable James Mukhwana and OCS Samson Taalam are under investigation. IPOA has asked the court for 21 more days to hold Mukhwana and is working to recover deleted evidence. DIG Lagat may also face questioning if implicated.

The Swahili paper reported that Deputy President Kithure Kindiki pledged to reach out to Wiper party leader Stephen Kalonzo Musyoka and bring him into government.

Kindiki accused unnamed politicians of misleading Kalonzo, saying their political ideologies do not align with his.

During a fundraiser for women’s economic empowerment in Mutomo, Kitui South, the Deputy President warned Musyoka to be cautious of politicians like former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua, whom he accused of traversing the country sowing ethnic divisions and misleading the public.

Kindiki urged residents of the region to support the Kenya Kwanza government, saying that development projects were already underway and would benefit them directly.

He cited road construction as a key priority, mentioning projects such as the Mutomo-Mutha road and the stalled Kibwezi-Kitui road, which he said would now be completed, particularly the section around Kwa Siku in Mwingi West.

Kindiki said the government did not introduce new taxes on ordinary Kenyans. Instead, he emphasised that the budget focused on ensuring that wealthy individuals and businesses who evade taxes are brought into compliance.

He further stated that the government was committed to sealing all loopholes for corruption and misappropriation of public funds.

The daily reported that the High Court overturned the 22-year prison sentences of Alex Shikanda and Musharaf Abdalla, previously convicted in a major terrorism case involving weapons and explosives found in Nairobi’s Eastleigh estate in 2012.

Justice Grace Nzioka ruled that the prosecution failed to prove the two men were aware of or possessed the weapons, raising doubts about their involvement.

Abdalla was arrested at the scene, while Shikanda was arrested two weeks later in Malindi.

Meanwhile, the court upheld the conviction of Abdimajid Yassin Mohamed, alias Ali Hussein or Browny, who had pleaded guilty to nine terrorism-related charges and initially received 59 years.

However, the judge reduced his sentence to seven years, to be served concurrently, noting that all counts stemmed from a single act of possession.

The court found his confession voluntary and the charges legally sound, though defence lawyers argued the original sentence was excessive and unrepresented.

The 2012 police operation led to the recovery of 18 kilograms of explosives, 12 grenades, suicide vests, and over 400 rounds of ammunition, enough to kill more than 500 people.

Former Superintendent Eliud Lagat testified that the explosives included advanced detonators and ball bearings for maximum damage.

The court dismissed the prosecution’s argument that freeing the accused posed a public risk. It accepted the defence's position that the two men had served time for a crime they weren’t proven to have committed.

The case featured allegations of false identities, money trails, and rental properties allegedly used as armouries.

Despite this, Justice Nzioka found critical inconsistencies in linking Abdalla and Shikanda to the weapons.

Both men have now been acquitted, while Abdimajid’s sentence has been reduced, concluding a complex and high-profile terrorism case that has spanned over a decade.

As per the paper, Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told Parliament that a key report investigating an alleged organ syndicate in Kenya was tampered with by officials within the Ministry of Health.

Speaking before the National Assembly Health Committee, Duale claimed that staff from the Kenya Blood Transfusion and Transplant Services (KBTTS) altered the findings of a 2023 committee formed to probe kidney transplants involving foreign recipients at Mediheal Hospital.

According to Duale, while the committee initially reached a consensus, the final report was opposed by two members who claimed it had been doctored.

As a result, the report was never formally submitted to the Ministry for consideration, making it legally and administratively void.

The original committee, which included transplant specialists, ethicists, ministry officials, and regulatory bodies, was established after concerns were raised by the Transplantation Society regarding possible illegal transplants conducted at Mediheal.

However, the disputed report had cleared the hospital, citing consent from donors, proper documentation, and adherence to surgical standards.

Duale confirmed that two ministry officers implicated in the interference have been suspended.

A new Independent Investigative Committee on Organ Transplant Services (IICOTS) has been formed and is expected to submit a fresh report by the end of July 2025.

Source: TUKO.co.ke