Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has officially withdrawn his earlier statement regarding the death of blogger Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody.
Kanja had initially claimed that Ojwang committed suicide by repeatedly banging his head against the wall of his cell at the Central Police Station in Nairobi.
Ojwang had been arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) at his home in Homa Bay County and transported to Nairobi. His arrest was linked to defamation allegations made against him by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat.
Tragically, Ojwang was found dead on June 8 in his cell at the Central Police Station, where he had been held after his arrest. Following the discovery, the police released a statement suggesting he had taken his own life by injuring himself.
According to the police, Ojwang was found unconscious by officers conducting routine cell inspections. They said he was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival.
However, a postmortem examination conducted by government pathologist Dr. Bernard Midia revealed a different and disturbing story.
Midia stated that Ojwang’s injuries strongly pointed to an assault, not suicide. The pathologist found evidence of multiple external injuries on Ojwang’s body, including trauma to the head, neck compression, and signs of a physical struggle.
“The cause of death is clear—it was a head injury along with compression to the neck, and there were also other injuries on various parts of the body,” said Dr. Midia. “When you consider all the injuries collectively, they suggest that Ojwang was assaulted.
There were clear signs of a struggle, and the injuries are described in detail in our report.”
On Wednesday, June 11, while appearing before the Senate, IG Kanja faced questions from Homa Bay Senator Moses Kanjwang regarding the circumstances of Ojwang’s death. In his response, Kanja publicly retracted his earlier statement and apologised to Ojwang’s family and to the people of Homa Bay.
“Based on the report we received from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the earlier claim that Ojwang hit his head is not true,” Kanja said. “I would like to tender my sincere apologies on behalf of the National Police Service for the misleading information we gave earlier concerning the cause of Ojwang’s death.”
The change in narrative from the police comes amid mounting public pressure and calls for accountability.
Civil rights groups, journalists, and members of the public have demanded a thorough investigation into the death of Ojwang, stressing that justice must be served if any officers are found to have been involved in his death.
Kanja’s apology is seen as a significant development in the case, but many are still waiting for clear action and transparency from the authorities. The family of Albert Ojwang continues to seek justice, as questions remain about what really happened in that police cell on June 8.
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