'We misled the country on Ojwang's death' Kanja tells senators

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja. [File, Standard]

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja on Wednesday apologised to the Senate and the public for an earlier claim that Albert Ojwang died by suicide while in police custody.

Kanja, who appeared before the Senate, acknowledged that the police service had provided misleading information and committed to taking disciplinary action against officers who issued the initial report.

The Senate summoned him following the release of autopsy findings that contradicted the police’s earlier narrative.

“I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service because of that information,” Kanja told the Senate, drawing applause from lawmakers.

The Inspector General had earlier claimed that Ojwang, a social media influencer, hit his head against the wall of a police cell.

However, an autopsy conducted on Tuesday at City Mortuary by five pathologists ruled out suicide. It found that Ojwang died from head injuries, neck compression and widespread soft tissue injuries.

“There were serious injuries to the head. There were also features of neck compression and multiple soft tissue injuries that were spread all over the body,” explained Dr Bernard Midia, the lead government pathologist.

Kanja told senators that the initial claim was based on a report from his officers, which he later corrected after learning the facts.

He maintained that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) was investigating the incident and would determine what happened and who was responsible.

“If in the ongoing investigations by IPOA, we get to know the truth, the officers who issued the initial report will have to face disciplinary procedures,” Kanja noted.

Senators pressed the police chief to take responsibility after IPOA had already ruled out suicide, calling for accountability over possible tampering with CCTV footage and the circumstances of Ojwang’s transfer from Homa Bay to Nairobi.

“IPOA is investigating the entire scene of the crime and will tell us what happened with the CCTV footage,” Kanja observed.

Ojwang was arrested at his home in Homa Bay on Saturday, June 8, allegedly over a social media post described by authorities as derogatory.

He was transferred to Nairobi and booked at Central Police Station, where he died the next day.

Nairobi Central Police Station boss Stephen Okal initially claimed that Ojwang attempted suicide and died in the hospital. But the autopsy findings and IPOA’s probe have cast serious doubt on the police version, prompting renewed public outrage and calls for justice.

Senator Moses Kajwang noted that falsely suggesting suicide carries deep stigma in many cultures and said the family deserved an apology.