Nairobi, Kenya – A Kenyan police officer has appeared in court after being arrested in connection with the death of a young blogger, Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody. His death has ignited widespread protests in the capital, Nairobi, and sparked a major investigation into police conduct.
Police Constable James Mukhwana was brought before the court, and he will remain in custody until his bail hearing scheduled for next week. Preliminary investigations allege that PC Mukhwana, along with other suspects who are still at large, “was likely involved in the planning and execution” of Mr. Ojwang’s killing, according to court documents submitted by detectives.
The constable is also accused of tampering with CCTV cameras at Nairobi’s Central Police Station in an attempt to cover up the death. PC Mukhwana has not yet responded to the accusations, but his lawyer requested bail, stating that his client willingly surrendered to authorities when summoned.
Mr. Ojwang, 31, died last weekend after being arrested over a post on X (formerly Twitter) that was allegedly critical of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat.
Initially, police stated that Mr. Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell and rushed to a city hospital, where he succumbed to head injuries purportedly sustained from banging his head against a cell wall. However, an autopsy report and an independent investigation by the police watchdog, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), have since ruled out the possibility of self-inflicted injuries, concluding that his death was likely the result of an assault.
Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja has since retracted the initial police statement, apologising for what he termed “misinformation” from his junior officers. Local media reported on Friday that police arrested a technician suspected of disabling the surveillance system at Central Police Station, potentially obscuring crucial evidence related to Mr. Ojwang’s death.
On Thursday, hundreds of protestors angered by the killing took to the streets of Nairobi, demanding the resignation of Deputy Inspector-General Lagat. He is facing mounting pressure from the public, opposition leaders, and civil society groups to step aside or be suspended.
President William Ruto has called for a swift investigation into the incident. On Friday, he pledged that his government would “protect citizens from rogue police officers,” reiterating a commitment he made upon coming to power in 2022 to end Kenya’s history of police brutality and extrajudicial deaths.
Despite this pledge, the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) reported nearly 160 cases of extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances across Kenya last year. Furthermore, the IPOA states that at least 20 people have died while held by police in the past four months alone.
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