Central Police duty roster shows Constable Mukhwana was off-duty at time of Ojwang’s booking

A duty roster at Central Police Station in Nairobi, seen by the Star, shows Police Constable James Mukhwana was off-duty at the time the late Albert Ojwang was booked into the station’s custody.

The roster, signed and stamped on May 31 by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Talam, indicates that Mukhwana and another constable were assigned the Cell Sentry duties from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm.

However, Ojwang was booked at the station at 9:31 pm on June 7, well outside Mukhwana’s scheduled shift, according to Ipoa's report.

According to DCI boss Mohammed Amin when he appeared before the National Assembly Security Committee on Thursday, June 12, 2025, Ojwang was arrested on Saturday at his home in Homa Bay and taken to Mawego Police Station within the county.

Officers from the DCI headquarters, he said, departed the station at 15:43hrs.

They arrived at Nairobi Central Police Station at 21:32hrs, nearly five hours later, he said.

At the station, Ojwang was booked under OB 136/07/06/2025 by Police Constable (PC) Mohamed Abdullahi and placed in a cell by PC Mukwana, Amin said.

Mukhwana, who has since been arrested and arraigned in court in connection with Ojwang’s death, was not on duty at the time of the booking.

According to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), Ojwang was arrested on June 7 at Lida Centre in Homa Bay County at around 2:30 pm, briefly held at Mawego Police Station, before being transferred to Nairobi. He was booked at Central Police Station under OB No. 136/7/6/2025.

The duty roster indicates that when Ojwang arrived at the police station, Mukhwana and his colleague had already completed their shift and were no longer in charge of the Cell Sentry.

The timing raises further questions about the circumstances surrounding Ojwang's arrest and subsequent death in custody.

Mukhwana was arrested on June 12 and has since been arraigned in court.

IPOA has requested 21 days of detention to facilitate further investigations into Ojwang’s death. 

The authority claims that Mukhwana, along with other yet-to-be-arrested officers, was involved in the assault that led to Ojwang’s death.

In its application, IPOA argues that releasing Mukhwana could hinder ongoing investigations.

"There is a real risk that the suspect may interfere with the crime scene, influence potential witnesses, or tamper with crucial police records if released at this stage," the application stated.

Meanwhile, Talam, who signed the duty roster, was arrested in Eldoret on Friday following a day-long manhunt.

According to the DCI officers, Talam had switched off his mobile phone on Thursday as officers closed in on him.

He was eventually located, arrested, and handed over to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) for further processing.

His arrest brings to three the number of individuals in custody in connection with the death of Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody under suspicious circumstances.