NAIROBI — The death of Albert Ojwang in police custody has shaken Kenya’s capital and drawn top security officials to the heart of the city today.
Ojwang, arrested last week over what authorities described as “false publication,” died under unexplained circumstances while detained at Nairobi’s Central Police Station. A postmortem is scheduled to take place this morning at City Mortuary.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Chairperson Issack Hassan are expected at the station at 10am. According to a media briefing notice, the pair may also visit the morgue where Ojwang’s body lies.
“The Inspector General will be at Central Police today at 10am alongside the Chairman of the IPOA,” the statement read. “There is a possibility the Inspector General will also view the body of the deceased.”
Ojwang’s family and legal representatives are expected to address the press following the autopsy.
The official police version of events claims Ojwang fatally injured himself by hitting his head inside the cell. But the circumstances surrounding his death have raised alarm, especially after several officers on duty that night were suspended pending investigation.
“We have more questions than answers,” said James Otieno, a lawyer representing Ojwang’s family. “They say he injured himself. But we want to see the body. We want independent answers.”
The IPOA, an independent body tasked with holding police accountable, has launched its own investigation.
Human rights advocates have called for transparency. “Every death in custody must be treated with the utmost seriousness,” said Beatrice Wanjiku of the Kenya Human Rights Commission. “People do not simply walk into a police station and come out dead.”
Public interest in the case has soared, fuelled by online calls for justice and growing scepticism around the police account.
Ojwang’s case echoes other high-profile custody deaths in Kenya, which have often ended in public outcry but little accountability.
The Inspector General has remained tight-lipped ahead of today’s visit. His presence, alongside IPOA leadership, is being seen as a sign of the pressure mounting on police to explain what really happened behind the locked doors of Central Police Station.
The autopsy results will likely be a key turning point in the investigation. But for now, many are waiting with heavy hearts and sharper questions.
