By Valentine Omondi
The murder trial over the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang’ opened before the High Court in Kibra on Monday, with prosecutors alleging that he was brutally assaulted and killed while in police custody, as fresh CCTV evidence introduced in court pointed to the involvement of two unidentified men whose identities remain unknown.
In opening submissions, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) dismissed the initial police account that Ojwang’ died after hitting his head against a cell wall, telling the court that evidence would show he was deliberately assaulted with a blunt object and strangled while being held at Nairobi Central Police Station.
The prosecution also alleged that efforts were made to cover up the killing by tampering with the station’s CCTV system and deleting crucial footage shortly after Ojwang’s death.
One of the most significant revelations during Monday’s proceedings came from CCTV footage presented in court. A protected witness testified that the footage allegedly showed Police Constable Peter Kimani arriving at the police cell area accompanied by two unidentified men. According to the witness, the three proceeded towards the last holding cell where Ojwang’ was being held.
The court further heard that moments later, the same individuals were allegedly captured leaving the area carrying what appeared to be a heavy object. While the witness could not identify the object from the footage, prosecutors argued that the movements captured by the surveillance cameras form an important part of the evidence they intend to rely on during the trial.
In separate testimony, the prosecution also told the court that another section of the CCTV footage allegedly showed five individuals dragging a person towards one of the police cells. One of those individuals was identified as a police officer, while two others remain unidentified.
The identities of the two unknown men have now emerged as one of the central issues in the trial, with investigators expected to establish who they were, how they accessed the police station, and what role, if any, they played in the events leading to Ojwang’s death.
The court also heard allegations that shortly after the incident, the station’s Digital Video Recorder was deliberately formatted, erasing surveillance footage from the period investigators consider crucial.
A protected CCTV technician testified that he was instructed to format the recording system, effectively deleting footage that could have assisted investigators in reconstructing the events surrounding Ojwang’s death.
The prosecution maintains that forensic evidence, medical findings, digital records, and witness testimony will demonstrate that Ojwang’ died as a result of a violent assault while under police custody, contrary to the initial police explanation.
Ojwang’ died on June 8, 2025, hours after his arrest and detention at Nairobi Central Police Station. His death sparked nationwide outrage after an independent postmortem concluded that his injuries were consistent with assault and neck compression rather than self-inflicted injuries.
Six people, including former Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, have been charged with murder. They have all denied the charges.
The hearing continues, with prosecutors expected to call more witnesses as they seek to establish the circumstances surrounding one of Kenya’s most closely watched custodial death cases. The defence is also expected to challenge the prosecution’s evidence before the court determines the guilt or innocence of the accused.
