A bombshell revelation has emerged in the investigation into the brutal murder of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, casting a dark shadow over Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Eliud Lagat. Documents obtained exclusively by RTC News Africa, reveal that Lagat made 18 phone calls to Central Police Station Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Talam on June 7, 2025, the day Ojwang was tortured and killed in custody.
Ojwang, 31, was arrested in Homa Bay following a complaint by Lagat over alleged defamatory X posts accusing the DIG of corruption. Transferred to Nairobi, Ojwang was booked at Central Police Station at 9:32 p.m. Hours later, he was dead, his body bearing marks of savage torture, blunt force trauma, neck compression, swollen eyes, and bruises, as confirmed by a post-mortem. Initial police claims of suicide were swiftly debunked, igniting public outrage and protests demanding justice.
The 18 calls, detailed in IPOA’s court filings, show Lagat and Talam were in constant contact throughout the day, with communications intensifying as Ojwang was brought to the station. Sources close to the investigation suggest these calls may have included instructions relayed to Talam, who allegedly orchestrated the fatal assault. Police Constable James Mukhwana, also in custody, confessed to IPOA that Talam ordered him to “discipline” Ojwang, claiming the directive came from Lagat. Mukhwana’s statement alleges Talam handed him KSh 2,000 to incentivize inmates to carry out the beating, resulting in Ojwang’s death.
However, a chilling report by The Star complicates this narrative, alleging Ojwang was removed from the station late at night, driven to Karura Forest, and tortured in the presence of a senior police officer before being returned to the cell, where he died. This account, supported by sources claiming Ojwang was handcuffed and beaten unconscious, contrasts sharply with Mukhwana’s second confession, which confines the assault to the station’s cells. Critics argue Mukhwana’s revised statement, delivered under pressure and after initial deception, may be a calculated attempt to shift focus from the Karura allegations, protecting higher-ranking officials implicated in the forest torture.
The 18 calls between Lagat and Talam, coupled with the Karura claims, raise disturbing questions about the chain of command and potential cover-up. Why was Lagat, a senior officer, in such frequent contact with a station commander on the day of a suspect’s death? Was Mukhwana’s confession engineered to deflect from the more damning Karura narrative? With CCTV footage tampered with and a technician arrested for deleting critical evidence, the truth remains obscured.
More to follow.
