A Tangled Web: DCI Steps in to Probe Allegations of Misconduct by IPOA in Ojwang Murder Case

Nairobi, Kenya – Just when it seemed the investigation into the tragic murder of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang couldn't get any more complex, a new and explosive front has opened up. Kenya's Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) announced on June 19 that it has taken over an investigation into allegations of serious misconduct by the very body that is supposed to be overseeing the police—the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). The stunning development follows a formal complaint from senior police officers in Nairobi, who allege that a mobile phone that had been seized as evidence was used to send text messages requesting money while it was in IPOA's possession.

According to court filings, the phone and its password were properly documented and handed over to IPOA for forensic analysis. However, it is alleged that messages were sent from the device after it had been taken into IPOA's custody. The police board is now treating the matter as a potential criminal offense, and the DCI has been called in to investigate. Two forensic officers have already testified that the phone was officially submitted to IPOA.

Lawyer Danstan Omari, representing the officer, noted that the phone was handed to the agency as an institution, not any individual, and argued that any misuse of evidence must be examined by detectives. Meanwhile, IPOA officials have not commented publicly. DCI investigators have begun taking statements—the case is expected to come up in court again on July 1. The dispute adds another twist to the ongoing effort to solve Ojwang's death in police custody.