NAIROBI, Kenya – A stormy Senate session erupted on Wednesday after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen declined to answer direct questions about the death of Albert Ojwang, a man who died in police custody under suspicious circumstances.
Murkomen’s assertion that only the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, could provide specific answers triggered outrage among senators, forcing the House to temporarily suspend proceedings as lawmakers protested what they saw as evasion and lack of accountability.
“The Constitution does not give me the power to decide who is culpable,” Murkomen told the Senate. “However, I am confident that we will do everything possible to ensure there is no cover-up or shielding of anyone.”
Despite his refusal to name those responsible, Murkomen expressed regret over the incident and pledged full cooperation with investigations.
“One life lost is a life too many. As the CS in charge and as a father, it is regrettable that such an act happened in our country, particularly at the hands of police officers,” he said.
He promised severe punishment for anyone found culpable. “Anyone involved in this act will be punished severely, so they serve as an example. This should not happen under our new Constitution.”
But senators were unimpressed by the broad assurances, especially after Murkomen redirected responsibility to oversight bodies such as the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which is mandated to investigate deaths in police custody.
The CS emphasised that his ministry only provides policy guidance and oversight—not operational control.
Migori Senator Eddy Oketch, who initiated the debate, said the late Ojwang sustained fatal injuries that pointed to a pattern of police brutality.
He demanded answers from Murkomen, the Inspector General, and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
“In this sitting, we want to be very clear: who, in the view of the CS and IG, are the suspects in this murder?” Oketch asked. “The IG informed the nation that Ojwang hit his head on a wall. The country needs to know where he got that information. And now that the autopsy has contradicted that claim, what has the CS done?”
Earlier, the Senate had suspended its formal sitting to allow Murkomen, IG Kanja, and DCI Director Mohamed Amin to address lawmakers in an informal session—an unusual move that signaled the political sensitivity surrounding the case.
Murkomen defended the government’s position, pointing to recent prosecutions of rogue officers as proof that the system can deliver justice.
“Thanks to this framework, several officers who have committed such heinous acts have been prosecuted,” he said.
But the tension in the chamber suggested deep dissatisfaction with what senators viewed as bureaucratic buck-passing at a time when public confidence in the police is waning.
Ojwang’s death has sparked national outrage and renewed calls for greater accountability within the National Police Service, especially after preliminary reports claimed he died after hitting his head—an assertion now challenged by autopsy findings.
