NAIROBI, Kenya – Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has walked back his earlier statement on the controversial death of teacher and social media influencer Albert Ojwang’, admitting he was wrong to claim the 30-year-old died after hitting his head against a cell wall.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, Kanja issued a public apology, saying his original remarks were based solely on a preliminary account provided by officers at Nairobi’s Central Police Station.
“Based on the report we have now received from IPOA, it is not true that he hit his head against the wall. That was the initial report we were given from the beginning,” Kanja told senators.
“I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service for that misinformation.”
The IG is facing mounting pressure from lawmakers and human rights groups to explain the circumstances under which Ojwang’ died in police custody, following a postmortem that showed he had been violently assaulted.
Ojwang’ was arrested at his home in Homa Bay County on Saturday, June 7, and transported to Nairobi, where he died less than 24 hours later.
A police report filed after his death claimed he was found unconscious in his cell after “repeatedly hitting his head against the wall.” He was pronounced dead on arrival at Mbagathi Hospital.
But that version of events has since been called into question, especially after the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) confirmed the cause of death involved blunt force trauma. IPOA has since launched an investigation into the matter.
Kanja, under questioning from senators, declined to state how many people were in the cell with Ojwang’ at the time, citing the ongoing IPOA probe. However, he stressed the police service is committed to accountability.
“We want to know who killed Ojwang’ and why. Let us give IPOA the opportunity to carry out quick and conclusive investigations,” he said, adding that IPOA is also looking into allegations of tampered CCTV footage at the station.
IPOA Deputy Chairperson Ann Wanjiku, who also testified before the Senate, confirmed that Ojwang’ was arrested by five officers and said the watchdog only learned of his death through media reports.
“One of the key findings was that the CCTV systems located at the OCS’s office had been interfered with,” Wanjiku told lawmakers — a revelation that has further fuelled concerns of a cover-up.
Ojwang’s death has triggered nationwide outrage and renewed scrutiny of police conduct, particularly the treatment of suspects in custody.
