Fresh CCTV evidence presented before the Kibera High Court has offered new details about the final hours of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang before his death while in police custody.
Prosecutors say the recordings show Ojwang arriving at Nairobi Central Police Station alive, communicating on his mobile phone and later being escorted to the cells, where they allege he was fatally assaulted.
The footage was introduced in court by Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) forensic investigator Joshua Mutua, who testified that the recordings captured Ojwang arriving at the station at about 9.23 p.m. on June 7, 2025.
According to the investigator, Ojwang appeared calm and responsive, made several phone calls and remained in the report office for approximately 15 minutes before officers led him to the holding cells.
Mutua further told the court that investigators discovered the station’s CCTV system had been interfered with.
He testified that the power cable supplying the surveillance system had been disconnected and the hard drives were formatted on the morning of June 8, 2025.
Despite the alleged interference, investigators managed to retrieve hundreds of gigabytes of video, which were later authenticated using forensic examination.
As the hearing progressed, Mutua guided the court through the recovered recordings, identifying police officers and other individuals captured at different sections of the station as prosecutors continued piecing together the events surrounding Ojwang’s detention.
Earlier testimony from a protected witness identified Police Constable Peter Kimani as the officer serving as the cell sentry on the night in question. CCTV clips shown in court placed Kimani at various points within the station, including outside the cells and near the main entrance.
The witness explained that police procedures give the cell sentry exclusive authority to regulate access to the holding cells.
Investigating officers, suspects being booked into custody and individuals delivering food are among those allowed entry, while the sentry also has the power to deny access and is responsible for incidents occurring within the cell block during their shift.
While reviewing the footage, the witness also pointed out two unidentified men seen speaking with PC Kimani at the station entrance before they proceeded further inside the compound.
Although Kimani was identified, the witness said the identities of the two men remain unknown.
The court was also shown recordings from several cameras positioned around the station.
The witness explained the areas covered by each camera, including the main entrance, internal corridors and routes leading to the detention cells.
The prosecution says the footage is intended to help establish the movements of officers and other individuals on the night Ojwang was taken into custody.
The CCTV evidence adds to earlier claims by the prosecution that surveillance footage was deleted and the station’s Digital Video Recorder (DVR) later formatted in what investigators allege was an attempt to interfere with crucial evidence.
Former Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, Police Constable Peter Kimani, Police Constable James Mukhwana and three civilians have all denied charges of murdering Albert Omondi Ojwang.
The trial continues before the Kibera High Court as the court examines evidence expected to determine what transpired during the final hours of Ojwang’s detention.
