IG Kanja: Officers behind false Ojwang report to face action

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has said disciplinary action will be taken against the officers who issued the initial report claiming that Albert Ojwang died after hitting his head against a wall while in custody.

Speaking before the Senate on Wednesday, Kanja admitted the first statement was wrong and confirmed it was based solely on information given by officers from Central Police Station.

“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.”

Kanja was responding to questions from senators who demanded clarity on what happened to Ojwang, a teacher and social media influencer who was arrested in Homa Bay on Saturday, June 7, and later died at Central Police Station in Nairobi.

A government post-mortem revealed he had been tortured, strangled, and suffered blunt-force injuries to the head and neck.

Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang asked the IG to explain why police gave a false account of the death, while Speaker Amason Kingi questioned whether Kanja would withdraw the misleading communication and offer a formal apology.

"Through your official communication, the first information put to the public was that the young man had hit his head against the wall and died. Later on, after the autopsy was carried out, it was found to be different. Would you withdraw the first communication and apologise to the public?" Kingi asked.

Kanja said investigations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) were ongoing and the outcome would determine further action.

"If in the ongoing investigations by the IPOA, we get to know the truth, the officers who released the initial report that we relied upon, then they will have to face disciplinary proceedings as provided for in the regulations for providing incorrect information," he said.

Ojwang’s death has triggered public outrage, with leaders and civil society groups calling for swift justice and full accountability.