Murder Trial Begins for Six Charged in Custody Death of Teacher Albert Ojwang

The High Court murder trial of six individuals charged in connection with the death of teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang has formally opened, with the prosecution alleging before the court that his killing was premeditated and that key surveillance evidence was deliberately destroyed in an effort to conceal what occurred inside Nairobi's Central Police Station.

Ojwang, a 30-year-old primary school teacher who had also written on social media about governance and public affairs, was arrested on the evening of 7 June 2025 at his home in Homa Bay County and transported by road to Nairobi Central Police Station — a journey of approximately 350 kilometres. The arrest was linked to a social media post that authorities alleged contravened the Computer Misuse and Cybercrimes Act, connected to a complaint by Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat. He was found unresponsive in a holding cell in the early hours of 8 June 2025 and was later pronounced dead on arrival at Mbagathi Hospital. He was 30 years old and is survived by his wife and a young child.

Police initially suggested Ojwang may have sustained injuries by striking his own head against a cell wall. That account was fundamentally contradicted when an independent post-mortem examination conducted on 10 June 2025 identified severe injuries to the head, features of neck compression and widespread soft tissue trauma across the body — injuries that examining pathologists said were incompatible with self-infliction.

Prosecution: Death Was Planned and Deliberate

In opening statements before High Court Judge Diana Kavedza at Kibra law courts on 20 July 2026, Director of Public Prosecutions Renson Ingonga told the court that the evidence gathered points to a planned and deliberate killing. The DPP submitted to the court that the injuries found on Ojwang were, in the prosecution's assessment, wholly inconsistent with the suggestion that he had simply struck his head against a wall, and that he had been subjected to assault while in the custody of the state.

The prosecution further alleged that in an apparent bid to obstruct the subsequent investigation, the closed-circuit television system at Central Police Station was erased and the station's Digital Video Recorder unit formatted, eliminating footage covering the critical period of the night of 7 and 8 June 2025. The Independent Policing Oversight Authority, which was directed by the DPP to investigate the death after the post-mortem ruled out suicide, is reported to have identified a technician allegedly paid to carry out the formatting of the recording equipment.

Six individuals are standing trial on charges of murder. They are former Central Police Station Officer Commanding Station Samson Talaam; Constable James Mukhwana; Peter Kimani; and three civilians, John Ngige Gitau, Jim Abwao and Brian Mwaniki Njue. All six have denied the charges and remain in custody. A bail application was rejected by Justice Kavedza on 30 September 2025, with the court citing, among other considerations, the safety of protected witnesses. Six prosecution witnesses have been placed under state protection ahead of their testimony.

The prosecution is led by Senior Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions Jason Makori. When witnesses were first scheduled to take the stand on 20 July 2026, the first prosecution witness entered the dock, marking the substantive opening of a trial that has attracted sustained public attention since Ojwang's death prompted street demonstrations and renewed demands for accountability within the National Police Service. Deputy IG Lagat has since stepped aside pending the investigation's findings.

None of the accused have been convicted of any offence. The prosecution's case is ongoing and all six individuals are entitled to the full presumption of innocence. The proceedings before Justice Kavedza are expected to continue in the coming weeks.

Sources: Nation.Africa, Eastleigh Voice.