In a major development that casts a dark shadow over the integrity of police investigations, a CCTV technician has confessed to being paid by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) of Nairobi’s Central Police Station to interfere with surveillance footage tied to the death of high school teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody.
The technician, who was arrested during a special operation in Saika on Friday, told officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) that OCS Samson Taalam summoned him to the station at 6:22 a.m. on June 8, 2025. According to his statement, he was taken directly to the OCS’s office, which houses the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) system for the station’s CCTV network.
The technician alleges that he was ordered by OCS Taalam and another officer to delete all footage from June 6 and 7—critical dates tied to Ojwang’s death in the station’s holding cells.
“I told them footage can’t be deleted selectively. The only way is to format the entire hard drive, which wipes all data and resets the system,” he is quoted as telling DCI officers.
His confession indicates that the following day, June 9 at 6:28 a.m., he received another call from the same officer, instructing him to return to the station with a new hard drive. He was warned not to wear reflective clothing or any form of uniform that might attract attention.
However, when he arrived, the technician says he found the DVR already opened and tampered with—strongly suggesting the evidence had already been interfered with from inside the station. He was told to “return later.”
The technician is no stranger to the station—he had installed 25 CCTV cameras in 2024, covering key areas including the reporting office, cell corridors, both floors of the facility, and the parking lot.
His damning statement adds significant weight to public suspicion that evidence may have been deliberately destroyed to obstruct justice and protect those responsible for Ojwang’s mysterious death.
Ojwang, a popular teacher at a Nairobi high school, was reported to have died in custody under unclear circumstances, with the station initially claiming he “banged his head against a wall.” That explanation has come under increasing scrutiny amid growing calls for accountability.
Addressing the Senate, DCI Director Mohammed Amin made it clear that the OCS is now a person of interest in the investigation.
“The claim that Albert banged his head on a wall is the narrative pushed from Central Police Station. It should be taken with a pinch of salt,” Amin told lawmakers.
Civil rights groups and education sector unions have demanded an immediate suspension of OCS Taalam and the officers on duty during the incident, pending the outcome of investigations.
As more disturbing details emerge, the case of Albert Ojwang is shaping up to be a major test of the state’s willingness to hold rogue officers accountable—and restore public faith in Kenya’s justice system.
