Wamuzi News Ke
In the wake of the chilling death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang while in police custody, former Roots Party running mate Justina Wamae has issued a powerful and urgent call for reforms that could shake Kenya’s policing system to its core.
Wamae, voicing what many Kenyans are now demanding, took to social media on Saturday, June 14, calling for police holding cells to be stripped from the control of the National Police Service and placed under the Prisons Department. According to her, prison wardens are far better equipped—both in training and accountability—to handle suspects in custody.
“Why not let the Prisons Department take over police cells?” Wamae questioned on X (formerly Twitter). “They are trained to manage inmates and already have working surveillance systems. Let them run the show.”
Her proposal follows national uproar over the tragic and suspicious death of 31-year-old Albert Ojwang, who was arrested in Homa Bay on June 6 after he exposed alleged corruption involving Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat. He was transferred over 350 kilometers to Nairobi’s Central Police Station, where he died just two days later under murky circumstances.
Contradictory Reports, Grim Revelations
Initially, police claimed Ojwang died after violently hitting his head against a wall in his cell. But a shocking twist emerged when an autopsy conducted by a panel of five pathologists—including state pathologist Dr. Bernard Midia—revealed that Ojwang suffered blunt force trauma to the head, signs of neck compression, and multiple soft tissue injuries, strongly suggesting assault.
Faced with the damning medical evidence, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja backpedaled on the official statement, apologized to the public, and admitted foul play could not be ruled out.
Making matters worse, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) dropped another bombshell on Friday, June 13, revealing that Ojwang actually died inside Central Police Station—not at Mbagathi Hospital as earlier claimed by police.
Web of Officers Under Investigation
Seventeen officers are now under the IPOA’s microscope. Among them are six officers who were on duty at the Central Police Station during Ojwang’s detention, five Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers involved in his arrest, and others implicated in the transfer and custody process.
Notably, Police Constable James Mukhwana, who was in charge of the cell where Ojwang was held, has already been arrested. Authorities allege he played a central role in the assault and covered it up by controlling cell keys and tampering with evidence. He was arraigned on June 13, with IPOA requesting to detain him for 21 days as investigations continue.
A Nation Demanding Justice
The brutal death of Ojwang has sparked protests, online fury, and renewed scrutiny of Kenya’s police force, which has long been accused of extrajudicial killings and custodial abuses.
Wamae’s bold proposal to overhaul the management of police cells could become a major turning point if the public pressure continues to mount. The question remains—how many more must die before Kenya’s justice system is forced to confront its darkest corners?
