Albert Ojwang: PC Mukhwana Discloses He Deleted Message He Sent to OCS after Blogger's Death

• PC James Mukhwana confessed to orchestrating Albert Ojwang’s assault on orders from Deputy IG Eliud Lagat and OCS Samson Talaam
• Mukhwana revealed that OCS Talaam warned him not to discuss the incident over the phone, which prompted him to delete their chats
• Initially, Mukhwana lied to IPOA but later returned to confess after realising his seniors were shifting blame onto him

Nancy Odindo, a TUKO.co.ke journalist, has over four years of experience covering Kenyan politics, news, and features for digital and print media.

Nairobi: The murder case of blogger Albert Ojwang has gained significant momentum after a key police officer confessed to his involvement and revealed the chain of command behind the fatal assault.

Police Constable James Mukhwana, who was on duty at the Central Police Station on the day of the incident, has admitted that he was directed to orchestrate Ojwang’s assault.

Mukhwana disclosed that he received the order from Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat through Central Police OCS Samson Talaam.

In a confession to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) on Monday, June 16, he claimed Talaam instructed him to ensure that Ojwang was assaulted by fellow detainees upon his arrival and warned him not to defy his senior’s directive.

"The order was to have him assaulted to the point he would require hospitalisation, but not to kill him," Mukhwana said.

However, the assault escalated beyond what he expected. He said he heard Ojwang screaming and rushed to check on him, only to find the blogger unconscious.

Why did Mukhwana confess amid Ojwang's murder probe?

Following Ojwang’s death, and amid growing public outrage, Mukhwana became increasingly anxious about his role in the incident.

In his statement, he detailed his private conversations with Talaam, who cautioned him against discussing the matter over the phone.

"My instincts started disturbing me after two days of the incident," Mukhwana recalled. "I texted OCS, 'Hello sir,' but he didn’t reply. I then texted, 'Are we safe?' He responded, 'Not bad.' When I called, he picked up and warned me, 'Stop discussing this over this phone, I’ll call you on another line.' I immediately deleted my texts."

According to Mukhwana, Talaam later called him using a different phone line and emphasised, 'Don’t discuss this matter over the phone.'

Talaam allegedly proposed to meet him in person but did not follow up.

Shortly afterwards, Mukhwana was summoned to appear before IPOA.

Initially, he withheld the truth, believing his colleagues would protect him. However, he later realised they were shifting all the blame onto him.

"On June 11, I gave a false statement thinking we were covering for each other, but I discovered I was being set up," he said.

Haunted by guilt, Mukhwana returned to IPOA the following day, June 12, to come clean and provide a full confession. He said he sought someone to accompany him as he decided to reveal the entire truth.

The case remains under active investigation as more officers are expected to face questioning.

What else you need to know about Albert Ojwang's case

• DIG Eliud Lagat stepped aside to allow investigations and passed condolences to Ojwang's family
• OCS Talaam appeared shaken and disturbed during his arraignment on Monday, June 16
• Three detainees suspected to have tortured Ojwang to death were arrested

Did Talaam pay detainees to assault Ojwang?

Meanwhile, while on the same interview with IPOA, Mukhwana revealed that he sought the help of a long-term detainee, Ngige, to identify and recruit individuals to assault Ojwang.

Ngige allegedly requested that Mukhwana buy alcohol using the KSh 2,000 provided by OCS Talaam, arguing that the detainees could not execute the assault while sober.

After a few minutes, Ngige singled out Gil Ammiton, Collins Ireri, Brian Mwaniki, and Erick Ndambuki, who later tortured Ojwang to death inside the police cell.

Why did Mukhwana recant his first statement?

Mukhwana retracted his earlier statement, which he claimed was a cover-up to protect his colleagues from facing prosecution.

He told IPOA that he opted to give a true account of what transpired on that fateful day, upon realising his colleagues and seniors were planning to sacrifice him.

He has asked to be put under the witness protection programme owing to the sensitivity of the information he shared and the calibre of officers involved.

The suspect is currently detained at the Capitol Hill Police Station, pending determination of his bail application.

Masolo Mabonga, HOD Current Affairs and Politics, extended this article with details on Mukhwana retracting his statement.

Proofreading by Jackson Otukho, copy editor at TUKO.co.ke.

Source: TUKO.co.ke