A report from Mbagathi Hospital has confirmed that 31-year-old teacher Albert Ojwang’ was already dead when police brought him in for "treatment" on the night of June 8, intensifying public anger over his death in custody.
Ojwang’s arrest and subsequent death have sparked widespread outrage, with protests erupting in Nairobi and beyond.
The late teacher was a vocal advocate for social issues on social media and had been detained by Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers in Homa Bay over a controversial online post. He was later transferred to Central Police Station in Nairobi.
Police claimed that Ojwang’ was found unresponsive in custody around 1:39 a.m. and was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital for urgent medical attention.
However, the hospital’s report—submitted to the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Administration and Internal Security—tells a different story.
According to the report, Ojwang’ was brought into the facility at exactly 2:00 a.m., and medical personnel on duty immediately found him lifeless.
“The Medical Officer on call assessed the male and confirmed it to be a corpse brought in dead,” the statement reads. “Patient brought in dead, notification of death form filled and police advised to go to KNH police station and to City Mortuary thereafter.”
Disturbingly, medical staff observed visible signs of trauma on Ojwang’s body. His face was swollen, his limbs and torso were covered in bruises, and he was bleeding from the mouth, eyes, and the back of the head.
A cut was also noted on the parieto-occipital region of his scalp. The body was cold and showed no signs of life.
These findings sharply contradict the police’s initial narrative, suggesting that Ojwang’ was not a patient in need of emergency medical care but a deceased individual likely subjected to severe physical abuse.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) is now investigating not only Ojwang’s death but also 17 other recent deaths in police custody.
As part of the investigation, IPOA has confirmed that CCTV footage from the Central Police Station was tampered with—altered just hours after Ojwang’ was taken to hospital.
In a significant development, Police Constable James Mukhwana from Central Police Station has been arrested in connection with Ojwang’s death.
According to a police report seen by Citizen, Mukhwana was apprehended by officers from the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) of the National Police Service and IPOA. He is currently being held at Capitol Hill Police Station and is set to face murder charges.
“Please be informed that PC James Mukhwana… is to be charged with the offence of murder contrary to section 203 as read with section 204 of the Penal Code,” the report states.
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