A key prosecution witness in the murder case of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang has died before he could give evidence in court.
Corporal Stephen Maina Nderitu, a police officer attached to Nairobi’s Central Police Station at the time of Ojwang’s death, collapsed at his home on Monday after leaving work. He was later pronounced dead.
According to reports on his post-mortem, acute ulcers, cardiac arrest and depression were cited among the causes of death. His family has said it accepts the findings.
Nderitu was expected to provide evidence about events surrounding Ojwang’s final hours in police custody, including the handling of CCTV footage at the station.
His death comes as the prosecution continues to present evidence against six people charged in connection with Ojwang’s death. All the accused have pleaded not guilty.
His statement could still become part of the case
Investigators had recorded a statement from Nderitu on May 18, 2025. The statement is understood to contain information about events at Central Police Station and the handling of surveillance evidence.
Prosecutors are expected to seek the admission of the statement despite Nderitu’s death.
That could become an important legal issue, since he will no longer be available for cross-examination in person.
Nderitu had been listed among witnesses expected to assist investigators in establishing what happened to Ojwang while he was detained at the station.
CCTV evidence remains central to the trial
CCTV footage has emerged as one of the most closely contested pieces of evidence in the case.
In July, a protected prosecution witness told the High Court that he had been instructed to erase CCTV recordings from June 6 and 7, 2025. He testified that selective deletion was not technically possible and that the station’s digital video recorder had to be formatted instead.
The witness also told the court that he was paid KSh3,000 after formatting the system. Former Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam is among those accused in the case, but the allegations against him remain before the court and have not been proved.
Another witness, a CCTV technician, testified that footage from the relevant period could no longer be recovered after the recorder was formatted.
Six accused remain on trial
Ojwang died on June 7, 2025, while in police custody at Central Police Station.
The prosecution has alleged that he was assaulted while in custody and that attempts were later made to conceal what happened.
The six accused include former Central Police Station OCS Samson Kiprotich Talaam, police officers James Mukhwana and Peter Kimani, and civilians John Ngige Gitau, Gin Ammitou Abwao and Brian Mwaniki Njue.
They have all pleaded not guilty.
The prosecution’s case is still being heard, and the court has yet to determine the allegations against the accused.
Nderitu’s death removes a witness who was expected to give evidence on some of the events surrounding the case. It also leaves prosecutors to rely on his recorded statement and other evidence, subject to the court’s decision on what can be admitted.
His burial is scheduled for September 18.
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