Kenyan police constable James Mukhwana was detained in connection with the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in a Nairobi police cell, as independent investigators examined allegations of an assault and efforts to obscure evidence.
Ojwang, 31, died after being arrested in Homa Bay in western Kenya over a social media post allegedly critical of Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat. He was transferred to Nairobi and was declared dead during the weekend. Police initially said he had injured himself by striking his head against a cell wall, but that explanation was challenged by a post-mortem examination.
Pathologists found evidence including blunt-force trauma, neck compression and other soft-tissue injuries. An independent pathologist who took part in the examination rejected suicide as an explanation, while the Independent Policing Oversight Authority also ruled out the account that Ojwang had fatally harmed himself. Inspector-General Douglas Kanja later withdrew the earlier police statement and apologised for what he called misinformation provided by junior officers.
Mukhwana appeared in court on Friday and was ordered to remain in custody pending a bail hearing. Court papers cited by the BBC said preliminary investigators believed he and other suspects still being sought were likely involved in planning and carrying out Ojwang’s killing, including alleged interference with closed-circuit television evidence. These remained allegations; Mukhwana had not responded to them at that stage, and his lawyer sought bail on the basis that he had presented himself when summoned.
Investigators also detained Samson Talam, the officer commanding Nairobi’s Central Police Station, and a technician suspected of disabling the station’s surveillance system. At least 23 people had been questioned, and five officers were removed from active duty while the independent inquiry continued.
The case triggered public demonstrations in Nairobi. Hundreds of protesters called for Lagat’s resignation, and police fired tear gas during the unrest. President William Ruto said Ojwang had died at the hands of police and promised swift action, pledging protection from rogue officers. The United States and European Union called for a transparent, independent investigation.
Ojwang’s death renewed scrutiny of longstanding accusations of police brutality, enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killing in Kenya. Ruto had promised to end such abuses after taking office in 2022, but rights groups continued to report serious violations. The Kenya Human Rights Commission recorded nearly 160 alleged extrajudicial killings and enforced disappearances in 2024, while the oversight authority said 20 people had died in police custody during the preceding four months.
The arrests marked an early step in the inquiry, not a determination of criminal responsibility. Investigators still had to establish who inflicted Ojwang’s injuries and whether evidence was deliberately concealed.
