The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) has told the High Court that teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang did not die accidentally while in police custody but was the victim of a deliberate assault allegedly carried out by officers entrusted with his safety.
Opening the prosecution’s case in the murder trial against former Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam and five co-accused persons, DPP Renson Ingonga said the State would present evidence to prove that Ojwang was assaulted to death before attempts were allegedly made to conceal the circumstances surrounding his death.
According to the prosecution, Ojwang was alive and in good health when he was taken into custody following his arrest. He was later booked into Central Police Station, where officers had a legal duty to ensure his safety. However, he was found dead the following morning.
Ingonga told the court that the prosecution would demonstrate “who caused the death of Albert Ojwang, how the fatal assault was carried out, and the alleged attempts to conceal the circumstances surrounding the killing,” maintaining that the evidence would show the incident was not an accident but an intentional act.
To support its case, the prosecution said it will call members of Ojwang’s family, who are expected to testify that he was physically healthy before his arrest. The State also intends to present testimony from the police officers who arrested and transported him to Central Police Station, as well as the government pathologist who conducted the post-mortem examination.
According to the DPP, medical evidence will show that the injuries sustained by Ojwang were inconsistent with the initial police account that he died after hitting his head against a wall while in custody. Instead, the prosecution contends the injuries point to a violent assault.
The State further plans to rely on forensic experts and CCTV specialists to reconstruct Ojwang’s movements inside the police station and to present evidence of alleged interference with surveillance footage after his death.
Ingonga urged the court to assess the evidence as a whole, arguing that the accused persons acted both individually and jointly in an unlawful enterprise that resulted in Ojwang’s death before allegedly attempting to cover up the incident.
The prosecution emphasized that “every Kenyan has the right to be safe while in police custody,” adding that law enforcement officers must be held accountable whenever they abuse the authority entrusted to them.
Former Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam and the five other accused persons have denied the murder charges. The trial continues before the High Court, where the prosecution is expected to begin calling witnesses in support of its case.
