Albert Ojwang Did Not Hit His Head Against Wall: IG Kanja Apologises

Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, has issued an apology over a statement he earlier made about what led to the death of Albert Ojwang.

Initially, he claimed that Ojwang killed himself by hitting his head against the wall at the Central Police Station in Nairobi.

However, an autopsy by Pathologist Bernard Midia on Tuesday, June 10, contradicted those police reports, with Midia stating that the teacher died as a result of neck injury and had neck compressions.

There were also other injuries on other parts of the body, proving that he was assaulted before he was killed.

"The cause of death is very clear. A head injury, neck compression, and we also have other injuries on other parts of the body that are pointing towards assault," Midia said.

Pathologists investigating the death rejected the police's claim that the deceased died after hitting his head against the police cell walls. 

"When you combine all the injuries in the body, they are consistent with a struggle," added Midia.

While appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, June 11, Kanja, while responding to questions from Senators, offered his apology to the country and withdrew his statement.

"Going by the report we have gotten from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), he did not hit his head on the way. I tender my apologies on behalf of the National Police Service (NPS) over the previous report on Ojwang's cause of death," Kanja stated.

Albert Ojwang, a 31-year-old teacher and X influencer, was first reported to have died on Sunday, June 8, 2025, under mysterious circumstances while in police custody at Nairobi's Central Police Station.

The events leading to his death began on Friday, June 6, 2025, when he was arrested in Homa Bay County. His arrest stemmed from a complaint filed by the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat, who accused Ojwang of tarnishing his name on social media through a post on X.

After his arrest in Homa Bay, Ojwang was transferred over 350 km to Nairobi and booked into the Central Police Station on Saturday, June 7, 2025. Explaining the transfer on Wednesday, June 11, Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Mohamed Amin stated that the transfer was guided by jurisdictional requirements, citing that the alleged offence had been committed in Nairobi, even though the arrest was carried out in Homa Bay.