Kenyan authorities have filed murder charges against six individuals, including three police officers, in connection with the death of teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang, who died while in police custody earlier this month.
According to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), the charges follow an investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which found grounds for prosecution after reviewing circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s arrest, detention, and death. The suspects were arraigned on Monday before the Kibera High Court in Nairobi.
Ojwang, aged 31, was arrested on June 7 in Homa Bay on allegations related to online defamation of a senior police official. He was later transferred to the Central Police Station in Nairobi, where he died on June 8 under unclear circumstances. While initial police reports suggested suicide, a post-mortem revealed severe head trauma and neck injuries inconsistent with self-inflicted harm.
Among those charged are Central Police Station OCS Samson Kiprotich Talaam, officers James Mukhwana and Peter Kimani, and three civilians believed to have participated in his detention. According to local reports, one of the officers admitted in a preliminary statement that inmates were instructed to “discipline” Ojwang but claimed there was no intent to kill him.
The case has sparked outrage across Kenya, with civil society organizations and human rights activists demanding accountability and an end to impunity in the police force. Public protests have been held in Nairobi and Homa Bay, calling for justice for Ojwang and greater oversight of custodial practices.
