Nairobi — The Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja has publicly apologized to the nation and the family of social media influencer Albert Ojwang,' who died in police custody, after earlier reports from the National Police Service (NPS) wrongly claimed he had died by suicide.
Appearing before the Senate on Wednesday, the IG admitted that the police's initial statement, which alleged that Ojwang' had fatally injured himself by banging his head against a wall, was false and misleading.
"Going by the reports by IPOA, it's not true that he died by hitting his head on the wall and that's the report we had from the word go. I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service because of that information," Kanja told senators.
This followed a push by Homa Bay Senator Moses Kajwang' who alluded to the cultural weight of Luo traditions and the damage caused to the reputation of Ojwang' and his kin following the suicide reports by the National Police Service.
Follow us on WhatsApp | LinkedIn for the latest headlines
"In my culture, suicide brings stigma. The Inspector General has brought untold suffering and shame to the family by falsely claiming he died by suicide. Can the IG withdraw on the floor of this House on the strength of the autopsy report?" Kajwang posed.
Tana River Senator Danson Mungatana emphasized for the apology saying it was unfortunate for the NPS to reveal that the victim died by suicide without ascertaining the details.
"To imply suicide from his cultural background is to attract huge stigmatization for that family.I am inviting the IGP to offer an unconditional apology to the Senate in view of the postmortem report that has been made public," Mungatana remarked.
The apology follows damning revelations from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), whose preliminary investigations have ruled out suicide as the cause of death.
IPOA Vice Chairperson Anne Mwangi told the Senate that the CCTV system at the Central Police Station had been interfered with, further raising questions about possible cover-up attempts.
The post-mortem report, conducted on June 10, concluded that Ojwang' died from a combination of head trauma caused by blunt force, neck compression, and multiple bruises across his body injuries inconsistent with self-harm.
The senators also questioned how such a misleading report was issued in the first place and demanded greater accountability within the National Police Service.
Sign up for free AllAfrica Newsletters
Get the latest in African news delivered straight to your inbox
Ojwang', who had been arrested in Migori County on June 7, was transferred to Nairobi under controversial circumstances and later died while being held at Central Police Station. IPOA has already identified six officers involved in the arrest, all of whom have recorded statements.
