NAIROBI, Kenya — Nominated Senator Veronica Maina has raised pointed inquiries concerning the enigmatic deletion of the X (formerly Twitter) account belonging to Albert Ojwang’, whose death in police custody remains a subject of intense controversy.
During a fervent Senate session where high-ranking security officials were summoned to account for the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s demise, Senator Maina pressed for unequivocal answers regarding the disappearance of Ojwang’s online presence.
“I have a specific question which begs answers and which Kenyans want to hear,” Senator Maina stated. She continued, asking directly, “Who deleted Albert’s X account, when was it deleted, and what was the reason for that?”
The Senator highlighted that Ojwang’s X account had initially been under investigation due to a post allegedly targeting Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat.
However, she emphasized that the account was inexplicably removed from the platform shortly after Ojwang’s arrest and subsequent death.
“But when investigations commenced and Albert lost his life, his X account was deleted,” she added, demanding transparency on who authorized or facilitated its removal.
Among the senior officials who appeared before the Senate to provide updates on the ongoing case were Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss Mohamed Amin, and representatives from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
Senator Maina further voiced serious concerns regarding reports from IPOA that indicated potential tampering with surveillance footage at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, the facility where Ojwang was held at the time of his death.
“Who interfered with the CCTV at Central Police Station? Was there a backup of the footage?,” she inquired, underscoring increasing anxieties about a possible cover-up.
Ojwang had been apprehended in Homa Bay on Friday, June 6. He was subsequently transferred to Nairobi and formally booked at Central Police Station the following day.
According to Inspector General Kanja, the arrest stemmed from a formal complaint lodged by Deputy IG Lagat, who accused Ojwang of tarnishing his reputation online.
Tragically, Ojwang was discovered unconscious in his cell during a routine check in the early hours of Sunday, June 8. He was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead at approximately 1:39 am.
Initially, the National Police Service claimed Ojwang had died by intentionally striking his head against a cell wall.
However, an independent autopsy conducted by pathologists directly contradicted this account.
The autopsy findings revealed that Ojwang succumbed to head injuries, neck compression, and multiple soft tissue trauma—a constellation of injuries strongly suggesting foul play.
