The murder trial of former Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam and five co-accused persons has opened in the High Court.
The prosecution has presented a chilling case regarding the death of blogger and teacher Albert Omondi Ojwang on June 8, 2025. The state alleges that Ojwang was deliberately assaulted and killed while in police custody.
A "Deliberate Act"
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) told the court on Monday morning that evidence gathered so far points to a violent death. Prosecutors argued that the circumstances indicate a "deliberate act rather than an accident as previously suggested."
The state intends to use medical and forensic evidence to challenge the initial police explanation for the fatality.
Initially, the police claimed that Ojwang died after hitting his head against a wall while in custody. However, the DPP maintained that "Ojwang's death was not accidental but an intentional act."
The prosecution told the court that every person in custody is entitled to protection and law enforcement must be held accountable for breaches of that duty.
The prosecution detailed the extent of the injuries found during the investigation. Medical evidence reportedly shows that Ojwang suffered from "blunt force trauma, neck compression, and multiple injuries sustained across his body."
These findings are said to be entirely inconsistent with a self-inflicted injury or a simple fall.
Witnesses from Ojwang’s family are expected to testify that the teacher was in good physical health before his arrest. He was taken to Central Police Station alive but was found dead the following morning.
Allegations of a Cover-Up
A significant portion of the DPP’s case focuses on an "attempted cover-up" following the death. The court heard testimony from a CCTV technician, Aloni Okwako, who examined the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) at the station. The technician told the court that the device had been formatted.
This formatting left investigators unable to access footage from the time Ojwang was in custody. Furthermore, the witness stated that some internal components of the system had been removed before the device could be examined.
The Trial Ahead
The six accused persons, led by former OCS Samson Talaam, have all pleaded not guilty to the murder charges. The trial is expected to examine the full timeline of Ojwang's arrest and his final hours.
The state will call various experts to the stand, including:
- Police officers who conducted the arrest.
- The pathologist who performed the post-mortem.
- CCTV and forensic experts to reconstruct Ojwang’s movements.
The case continues as the court examines the individual responsibility of each of the six accused.
