A police officer listed as a key prosecution witness in the murder case of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang has died in Nairobi before giving evidence in court.
Stephen Maina Nderitu, who was attached to the office of the Officer Commanding Station at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, reportedly died on Monday, September 7, hours after leaving work.
Nderitu collapsed and died.
A post-mortem report linked his death to acute ulcers and cardiac arrest, with depression also cited.
Nderitu was expected to testify about events surrounding Ojwang’s detention and the alleged tampering with the police station’s CCTV system.
His evidence was expected to help prosecutors establish a link between former Central Police Station OCS Samson Talam and the removal or interference with the CCTV hard drive.
Investigators had already recorded a statement from the officer containing information considered important to the prosecution’s case.
His death means that prosecutors will have to determine how the statement and any other evidence he provided can be handled during the trial.
Nderitu is expected to be buried next week.
Ojwang died in police custody in June 2025 after being arrested in Homa Bay and transported to Nairobi following a complaint concerning his social-media posts.
Police initially attributed his death to self-inflicted injuries, but a post-mortem examination found that he had suffered head injuries, neck compression and other trauma consistent with assault.
Six people, including police officers, were subsequently charged with murder. They denied the charges.
The case attracted nationwide protests and renewed demands for accountability over deaths and mistreatment in police custody.
Nderitu’s death comes while the trial is underway and before the court has heard all the prosecution witnesses.
