IG Kanja apologises for misinformation on Ojwang’s death
Kanja admitted his earlier statement was based solely on a report from officers at Central Police Station and has since been discredited by findings from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has apologised to the public for falsely claiming that social media influencer and teacher Albert Ojwang died after hitting his head against a wall while in police custody.
Appearing before the Senate on June 11, Kanja admitted his earlier statement was based solely on a report from officers at Central Police Station and has since been discredited by findings from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
"Based on the report we have now received from IPOA, it is not true that he hit his head against the wall. That was the initial report we were given from the beginning," Kanja told the Senate.
"I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service for that misinformation."
Pressed on how many people were in the cell with Ojwang, the IG said this would be clarified through ongoing investigations.
Kanja is under pressure to explain what really led to Ojwang’s death, after a postmortem revealed he had been brutally assaulted before dying in custody.
He had earlier claimed that Ojwang was found unconscious in a cell at Central Police Station and rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
A police report stated that he had sustained head injuries after "hitting his head repeatedly against the wall inside the cell."
Ojwang was arrested at his home in Homa Bay County on the afternoon of June 7 and transported to Nairobi, where he died the following morning. On Wednesday, Kanja said the police are committed to finding out the truth.
"We want to know who killed Ojwang and why. Let us give IPOA the opportunity to carry out quick and conclusive investigations," he said, adding that the reported tampering with CCTV footage at the station is under IPOA’s review.
Appearing before the Senate the same day, IPOA Deputy Chairperson Ann Wanjiku confirmed that Ojwang was arrested by five officers.
She told senators that IPOA only learned of his death through the media and launched an investigation immediately.
"One of the key findings was that the CCTV systems located at the OCS’s office had been interfered with," Wanjiku said, raising concern over a possible cover-up.
