During a closed-door session with the National Assembly Committee on Internal Security and Administration, IPOA chief Isaak Hassan gave a blow-by-blow account of how Albert Omondi Ojwang met his death inside Central Police Station, according to IPOA’s investigations and findings.
It all began when police officers tracked him using his X account, @pixelpioneerai, after he posted content seen as defamatory against Deputy Inspector General Lagat.
Isaak Hassan told lawmakers that IPOA believes the decision to torture Ojwang was met before even being moved to Nairobi for interrogation.
From the moment he was transferred from Homa Bay to Nairobi, the mission was set. Central Police OCS Samson Talaam allegedly cleared out petty offenders from the cell where Ojwang would be held. The reason? So he could be kept in isolation; no witnesses.
Allegedly, a senior officer, whose shift had ended at 8pm refused to leave duty choosing to stay on until 3am, raising suspicion. IPOA believes he stayed with one purpose; to oversee the torture.
Soon after Ojwang arrived, he was allowed to call his wife. He was in good health at the time. But that changed hours later.
A special squad led by the officer who had refused to leave duty at 8 P.M reportedly entered the cell, interrogated and brutally tortured him, trying to force names out of him.
The torture squad wanted Ojwang to give out information on who was sponsoring the online smearing campaign against DIG Eliud Lagat.
He didn’t talk. He mentioned no names. They left him on the cell floor after he blacked out. When the next shift officer came to take over, he found Ojwang already dead in the cell and refused to proceed.
Meanwhile, CCTV footage was erased. A technician was allegedly called in by Talaam’s secretary to delete specific clips from that night.
Deletion of a specific day’s clips was not possible.This saw the technician wipe out the entire footage instead, the hard disk was later replaced.
Ojwang’s body was later taken to Mbagathi Hospital. A doctor confirmed he was already dead, cold, bruised, and battered.
Cpl James Mukwana, OCS Samson Talaam both present on the night of torture, Kevin Matava ( CCTV technician) are currently in police custody. More arrests forthcoming.
This narration is based on IPOA’s revelation to MPs and as reported by Daily Nation.
