The trial of six people, including former Central Police Station Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Tallam, over the murder of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang is set to begin on Monday before the High Court in Kibera.
The six accused, three police officers and three civilians who shared a cell with Ojwang on the night he died, have denied the murder charge. Ojwang was found dead on the morning of June 8, 2025.
The prosecution had opposed their release on bail, arguing that they could interfere with witnesses if freed pending trial.
The other police officers charged are James Mukhwana and Peter Kimani. The three civilian co-accused are John Ngige Gitau, Jim Ambao and Brian Njue, who were being held in the same cell as Ojwang at the station.
From left: Former Central Police Station boss Samson Talaam, Police Constable James Mukhwana, Peter Kimani, John Gitau, Gin Ammitou and Brian Mwaniki in court on June 24, 2025. They pleased not guilty for the murder of teacher Albert Ojwang.
Photo credit: Billy Ogada | Nation Media Group
Ojwang was reportedly arrested at his home in Kakoth, Homa Bay County, on June 7, 2025, by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) following a complaint over a social media post allegedly linked to Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Langat. He was then transported to Nairobi and detained at Central Police Station.
His death triggered nationwide protests and public outrage, prompting Langat to step aside to allow investigations into the incident.
The hearing had initially been scheduled to begin earlier but was postponed after Tallam sought specialised medical treatment. Through his lawyer, Tallam told the court that he had been unwell and required urgent assessment and tests by specialists at Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH).
The prosecution did not oppose the request, and the court directed that Tallam be escorted to KNH for treatment. The judge also ordered that a medical report be filed upon completion of the examination. Following his discharge, the court directed that the medical records be supplied to both the court and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).
According to investigators, Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell in the early hours of June 8 and was later pronounced dead at Mbagathi Hospital.
Meshack Ojwang, father of Albert Ojwang, speaks to journalists outside Nairobi Funeral Home on June 8, 2025.
Photo credit: Lucy Wanjiru | Nation Media Group
A postmortem conducted on June 10 found that Ojwang had suffered severe head injuries, neck compression and multiple soft-tissue injuries across his body. Pathologists concluded that the injuries were externally inflicted and consistent with assault rather than self-harm.
The autopsy further established that the injuries were sustained over a period of time, indicating a prolonged assault while Ojwang was in police custody and contradicting the initial police account that he had injured himself.
His death prompted investigations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and other agencies, which documented the scene, collected forensic evidence and examined the conduct of police officers involved in his arrest and detention.
