The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has formally arraigned James Mukhwana, a police officer at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, as the primary suspect in the death of Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody. IPOA is seeking 21 working days to detain Mukhwana to complete ongoing investigations.
According to IPOA’s Senior Assistant Director of Investigations, Abdirahaman Jibril, Mukhwana is being investigated for murder, contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.
IPOA’s preliminary findings suggest that Mukhwana, along with others yet to be apprehended, was involved in the planning and execution of a fatal assault on Ojwang inside the Central Police Station cells. Investigators also allege an attempted cover-up, with the suspects tampering with the station’s CCTV system.
Mukhwana was arrested on June 12, 2025, and detained at Capitol Hill Police Station. IPOA told the court that his continued custody is necessary to prevent interference with witnesses, crime scene evidence, custody records, and other official documentation. The Authority also emphasized the need to retrieve and analyze his mobile phone and secure sensitive police documents.
The application stresses that Ojwang’s death is of significant public concern and that justice demands a thorough, independent investigation. It further warns that Mukhwana’s release could not only compromise the probe but also pose a risk to his own safety given the public outrage over the incident.
According to IPOA, Mukhwana held the keys to the cell where Ojwang was detained. At approximately 1:40 a.m., Ojwang was found unresponsive, lying in a pool of blood. He was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead. The postmortem conducted on June 10, 2025, determined the cause of death as blunt force trauma to the head, neck compression, and multiple body bruises.
Investigations revealed Mukhwana was the designated cell sentry on the night of Ojwang’s death. Witness accounts and phone data indicate he was in constant communication with individuals inside and outside the station before, during, and after the incident allegedly coordinating and later reporting on the assault.
Additionally, IPOA claims that Mukhwana and others falsified police records to mislead investigators. The Authority discovered that on June 8, 2025, the station’s CCTV system had been tampered with: the DVR power cable was unplugged, and the operating discs were replaced and formatted between 7:28 a.m. and 7:32 a.m. — suggesting a deliberate attempt to erase critical footage.
However, the defence team, led by lawyers Danstan Omari, Stanley Kinyanjui, and Sophie Nekesa, opposed the application, arguing that IPOA had not provided sufficient grounds for the extended detention. They asserted that the steps outlined such as retrieving CCTV footage, analyzing the suspect’s phone, and collecting records could be carried out without keeping Mukhwana in custody.
Mukhwana appeared before Magistrate Robinson Ondieki at the Milimani Law Courts, where the court ordered his detention until June 20, 2025. On that date, the magistrate is expected to deliver a ruling on whether IPOA’s request for extended detention will be granted.
