NAIROBI, Kenya — The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) confirmed on Friday that Samson Talaam, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Nairobi Central Police Station, has been arrested by the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU).
This arrest marks a significant development in the ongoing investigation into the murder of social media influencer Albert Ojwang.
During a press briefing, IPOA Commissioner Boniface Samati explained that Talaam was subsequently handed over to IPOA and is expected to be instrumental in assisting the continuing investigations.
Samati added that the independent oversight body has recorded statements from additional witnesses, including other suspects who were detained in the police station cells on the night of Ojwang’s death.
This extensive collection of testimonies, he noted, will help piece together the sequence of events that led to Ojwang’s murder while in police custody.
“We have not completed our investigations and we are only providing the status update. We are not ruling out at this stage to say there are people we have absolved or not, the issue of high-ranking officers and shifting blame, we are taking it step by step. We are building a case,” Samati emphasized.
He further elaborated: “We have more witnesses to talk to, and we have chances of arresting more suspects. From the record, we are aware that the deceased was booked in when he was well and he was booked out when he was taken to Mbagathi.”
Providing an update on the evidence collected, Commissioner Samati revealed that IPOA investigators have documented the scene, collected blood samples, and forwarded them to the government chemist for analysis.
Additionally, they have successfully obtained the CCTV Digital Video Recorders (DVR) in an attempt to recover crucial footage.
Also Read: IPOA seeks court order to access Safaricom call logs in Albert Ojwang’s murder case
According to Samati, a total of three arrests have been made in the case so far: OCS Talaam, Police Constable James Mukhwana of Central Police Station, and the technician who allegedly dismantled the CCTV footage. Commenting on Mukhwana’s potential role, the IPOA Commissioner remarked: “Mukhwana has something he knows very well because at the point when the incident happened, he was on duty.”
This development follows an earlier statement by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin, who suggested that Talaam should be treated as a prime suspect.
Amin cited that Talaam allegedly declined to book Ojwang when he was presented at the station, raising serious questions about his conduct and potential culpability.
“It has further been confirmed that before the booking, the report office personnel called the OCS, and unfortunately, it is being said that (Taalam is the OCS and not the OCPD) he declined to book the suspect,” Amin stated during a Senate grilling session on June 11, 2025.
