NAIROBI, Kenya— Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen and Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja found themselves under oath on Tuesday, facing a grilling session in the Senate.
This unusual move followed a formal request by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna and Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang as the House sat as a committee of the whole to probe the shocking death of 31-year-old Albert Ojwang’ in police custody.
“Mr Speaker, before they even say their names, let them be sworn in,” Sifuna insisted, underscoring the gravity of the matter. His call, seconded by Kajwang, was rooted in one goal: accountability—without the political fluff.
Kajwang wasn’t pulling any punches either. “If we go the Kamukunji way, we’ll only get political statements,” he warned.
“We’ll be told people hit their heads on walls, and there will be no consequences.” His statement echoed growing public frustration with official narratives that often fall short of the truth.
So, the oath books came out.
Joining Murkomen and Kanja in swearing to tell the truth were Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohamed Amin, IPOA Vice Chair Ann Mwangi, and Edwin Cheluget, Acting Chair of the National Police Service Commission. The full security lineup appeared before the Senate as pressure mounts for answers in the case that has triggered national outrage.
Albert Ojwang’s death in custody has sent shockwaves far beyond his hometown of Homa Bay. Arrested in what appears to be a defamation case involving a senior police official, Ojwang’ died shortly after being detained at Nairobi’s Central Police Station. Police claimed he hit his head against a wall. But a government autopsy painted a far darker picture—blunt force trauma, neck compression, and signs of a struggle.
The Senate’s insistence on placing witnesses under oath wasn’t just a symbolic gesture. As Kajwang pointed out, it opens the door for perjury charges if anyone decides to bend the truth. It’s a legal safeguard that, frankly, doesn’t happen nearly enough in Kenyan inquiries.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi gave the green light, calling the request “valid” and reminding the House of its mandate. “We are here to get nothing but the truth,” he ruled. “And the only way to ensure that is by having all statements made under oath.”
In a country where truth often gets buried under bureaucracy, Tuesday’s session marked a rare but critical step toward justice—not just for Ojwang’s grieving family, but for every Kenyan who wants to believe that institutions can still be held to account.
