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senate
11 June 2025
2h 12m
The Senate Plenary, Wednesday 11th June, 2025. Afternoon Session.

Senate Interrogation on Death of Albert Ojwang

Wednesday 12 June, 2025 | Afternoon Session

The Senate resumed a special inquiry session into the circumstances surrounding the death of Albert Ojwang while in police custody. The session featured direct questioning of top security officials, including the Cabinet Secretary for Interior, the Inspector General of Police, the Deputy Inspector General, the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and IPOA representatives. Senators raised concerns about police brutality, systemic cover-ups, and the constitutional limitations on the executive’s oversight role. The hearing was emotionally charged, with repeated demands for accountability and institutional reform.

Topics Discussed

  • Police brutality and extrajudicial killings
  • Circumstances surrounding Albert Ojwang’s arrest and death
  • Role and culpability of the Deputy Inspector General, Eliud Lagat
  • Chain of custody, booking procedures, and solitary confinement concerns
  • Alleged tampering with CCTV evidence and deletion of social media accounts
  • Legislative gaps in police accountability and human rights training
  • IPOA’s investigative powers and safety of its officers
  • Oversight responsibilities of the Ministry and the National Police Service
  • Interrogation of the cybercrime jurisdiction and suspect transfer protocols

Key Takeaways and Decisions

  • Senate unanimously approved a motion to suspend normal business and allow a full-day interrogation of the Interior Ministry and police leadership
  • IPOA confirmed the CCTV at Central Police Station had been tampered with; forensic retrieval is underway
  • IPOA committed to submitting a full report to the ODPP within 10 days
  • Six officers, including the OCS, were confirmed to have been interdicted, with 11 more listed as persons of interest
  • Cabinet Secretary reaffirmed that the Ministry could not interfere with specific investigations but retained policy oversight responsibilities
  • DCI confirmed that Ojwang was driven directly from Homa Bay to Nairobi under cybercrime jurisdiction and that officers involved are available for further interrogation
  • National Police Service Commission emphasized ongoing discussions on curriculum reforms for police training and career progression

Major Participants

  • Kipchumba Murkomen, CS Interior: Defended constitutional limits on his powers, promised reforms, and denied shielding senior officers
  • Douglas Kanja, Inspector General of Police: Apologized for initial false statement, attributed it to inaccurate primary report, faced intense scrutiny over lack of action against top leadership
  • Eliud Lagat, Deputy Inspector General: Subject of sustained calls to step aside pending investigations
  • Mohamed Amin, Director of Criminal Investigations: Confirmed arrest chain, booking times, and movement log; denied any stopovers en route
  • Anne Mwangi, Vice Chair, IPOA: Detailed ongoing forensic investigations and affirmed IPOA’s independence and legal authority to summon any officer
  • Edwin Kiprono, Vice Chair, National Police Service Commission: Noted gaps in training and resource limitations, supported oversight reforms
  • Hon. Boni Khalwale, Sen. Kajwang’, Sen. Nyutu, Sen. Asige, Sen. Veronica Maina, Sen. Haji: Led tough questioning on solitary detention, cybercrime transfers, and systemic failures

Key Moments

  • IG Kanja formally apologized on behalf of the National Police Service for misinformation about cause of death
  • Murkomen’s remarks sparked heated responses after citing Article 245 to justify limitations on his office
  • Senators raised alarms over potential tampering of evidence and deletion of Ojwang’s social media accounts
  • A tense exchange emerged over the continued presence of DIG Lagat in office during active investigations
  • IPOA confirmed that a detainee witness statement was collected, potentially contradicting solitary confinement claims
  • Senators questioned why police transported Ojwang from Homa Bay to Nairobi rather than process locally

Notable Quotes

  • “If you see how that gentleman was beaten, the person who did it is an animal.” – CS Kipchumba Murkomen
  • “I cannot please a human being so as to displease my Creator.” – DCI Mohammed Amin, reaffirming oath
  • “Why is the DIG still in office while juniors have been interdicted?” – Sen. Wambua

This summary was generated from official YouTube livestreams of the Kenyan Parliament using bunge-bits, an automated transcription and summarization tool.