The Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Nairobi Central Police Station, Samson Talaam, has been ordered to remain in custody for 15 more days.
This decision was made to give police investigators enough time to continue looking into the mysterious death of blogger Albert Ojwang, who died while being held in police custody.
Talaam was arrested on June 13 in Eldoret after being identified as the key suspect in Ojwang’s death. According to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), several witnesses came forward and directly implicated Talaam in the case during their investigations.
During the court session held on Wednesday, June 18, Magistrate Benmark Ekhubi ruled that Talaam should not be released on bail. The magistrate stated that the prosecution had provided solid reasons to justify keeping him in custody.
One of the main concerns was that Talaam could potentially interfere with the investigations if set free.
The court was informed that there was a high risk of him tampering with crime scenes and possibly manipulating the CCTV evidence related to the case.
The IPOA revealed that their investigations strongly indicate possible police misconduct and serious human rights violations.
“From the evidence collected so far, it is suspected that the Respondent and other individuals who are still at large may have been involved in planning, directing, and trying to cover up the brutal beating that led to the victim’s death while he was inside the Central Police Station holding cells,” IPOA said in a statement.
On June 16, IPOA filed a formal request at the Milimani Law Courts seeking extra time—specifically 21 more days—for detectives to finalize their investigations.
The petition also requested that the suspects, including Talaam, continue to be held in custody during this period.
On the same day, lawyer Danstan Omari took legal action by submitting a petition to the High Court. His request aimed to block the prosecution of Talaam and another officer, Constable James Mukhwana. He also challenged the request to keep the two officers detained for an additional 21 days.
However, IPOA supported its plea to hold the officers by presenting a detailed affidavit to the court. After reviewing the affidavit and arguments presented, the court ruled in favor of IPOA, allowing Talaam to be held for 15 days as investigations proceed.
The case has sparked national attention, with many calling for accountability and transparency in how the police handle suspects in custody.
Join Gen Z New WhatsApp Channel #JusticeforAlbertOjwang To Stay Updated On time
https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaWT5gSGufImU8R0DO30
