The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) has officially taken over a high-stakes probe into the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) amid explosive allegations of evidence tampering.
The scandal, which has rocked the law enforcement and accountability community, stems from a formal complaint lodged by Nairobi Central Police Station OCS, Samson Talaam, who alleges that IPOA mishandled crucial evidence during its investigation into the controversial death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang’.
At the center of the storm is a mobile phone seized from Talaam — a key piece of evidence — which was surrendered to IPOA investigators complete with its password. Shockingly, while under IPOA’s custody, the phone is alleged to have sent out text messages requesting money — a move that has now triggered serious concerns of misuse, tampering, and potential criminal misconduct within the oversight body itself.
The matter has since been escalated to the DCI, which is expected to file a comprehensive forensic report detailing what exactly transpired while the device was in IPOA’s possession. Legal experts warn that if the allegations are proven, this could mark an unprecedented breach of trust and chain of custody violations by an institution tasked with safeguarding police accountability.
The case is set for mention in court on July 1, 2025, with both the DCI and IPOA under growing public scrutiny over how they will handle this ticking legal time bomb.
For now, all eyes are on the DCI as the country waits to see whether justice will prevail — and whether the watchdog itself will be watched.
