A major breakthrough has been made in the murder investigation of Albert Ojwang’, the outspoken teacher and blogger whose death under police custody shocked the nation.
Police Constable James Mukhwana, attached to Nairobi’s Central Police Station, was on Wednesday, June 12, arrested by officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU). He is expected to be charged with murder, contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.
According to a confidential dispatch from the Officer Commanding Capitol Hill Police Station seen by Channel 15 News, the arrest follows an extensive investigation into the mysterious death of Ojwang, who was allegedly tortured after being removed from his holding cell under cover of darkness.
Ojwang had been transferred from Homa Bay by DCI officers and booked at Central Police Station in good health. However, between 9:35 p.m. and 1:39 a.m., he was reportedly driven in a private vehicle to Karura Forest, where he was allegedly handcuffed, beaten unconscious, and later returned to the station in critical condition.
Some officers reportedly objected to accepting an unresponsive detainee, but were overruled by superior orders. Ojwang was placed in a solitary cell, while petty offenders were cleared out to create space. He was officially declared dead at 1:39 a.m., recorded under OB number 9/08/06/2025.
IPOA Deputy Chairperson Ann Wanjiku told the Senate that CCTV cameras within the station, especially those covering the cells, had been tampered with, making retrieval of crucial footage impossible. She indicated that the system appeared deliberately disabled, deepening suspicions of a coordinated cover-up.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has called for a thorough investigation and assured the public that those responsible would be held to account. The arrest of PC Mukhwana is the first in what is expected to be a string of prosecutions if further culpability is established.
The case has drawn national attention and renewed public pressure on the government to rein in rogue officers and enforce accountability within the police service.
Ojwang’s family and civil rights groups have welcomed the arrest, calling it a “critical step towards justice” in a case that has spotlighted the use of excessive force, custodial abuse, and systemic impunity in Kenyan law enforcement.
