IG Kanja Apologizes After Police Retract False Report on Ojwang’s Death in CustodyPost-mortem reveals Albert Ojwang died from multiple injuries, contradicting police claim he “hit his head on a wall.”
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja was forced to apologize before the Senate on Wednesday after a police report falsely claimed that Albert Ojwang, who died in custody at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, had fatally injured himself by hitting his head on a wall.
The admission came under intense scrutiny from senators, who demanded accountability for the misleading statement.
IG Kanja acknowledged the initial police report was incorrect and pledged disciplinary action against officers responsible but hesitated to formally retract the statement until the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) completes its investigation.
“If IPOA’s findings confirm officers provided false information, they will face disciplinary action,” Kanja said. Senators, led by Moses Kajwang’, pressed for an immediate retraction and apology, arguing the erroneous report had damaged public trust.
Senate Speaker Amason Kingi intervened, urging Kanja to “tell the truth plainly.” Under mounting pressure, the IG finally withdrew the statement and apologized:
“Given IPOA’s findings that Ojwang did not hit his head against a wall, I tender an apology on behalf of the National Police Service for the Campaign.
A post-mortem conducted by Government Pathologist Dr. Bernard Midia revealed Ojwang died from multiple blunt-force injuries inconsistent with the police’s initial claim.
“The injuries were widespread—on the head, neck, limbs, and torso—and could not have been self-inflicted,” Dr. Midia stated.
“A collision with a wall would have caused localized trauma, not this pattern.”
Ojwang died less than an hour after being detained at Central Police Station on June 8. IPOA is investigating possible police brutality in the case.
The discrepancy has fueled outrage, with human rights groups condemning the police for alleged attempts to obscure the truth.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) called for swift prosecutions if officers are found culpable.
“This is yet another case where the police’s version of events clashes with medical evidence.
Kenyans deserve transparency,” said LSK President Eric Theuri.
The Senate has directed IG Kanja to submit a full report on disciplinary measures taken against the officers involved within 14 days.
