IPOA says CCTV cable at Central Police Station was unplugged
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Vice Chairperson, Ann Wanjiku, has revealed that their officers found the CCTV power cable unplugged.
Speaking during a special plenary session at the Senate on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, Wanjiku revealed that the CCTV footage was tampered with and its contents erased.
“The other thing which could have shown his condition clearly is the CCTV, which in our report we have indicated was tampered with. From our forensic experts at IPOA, it is very clear that the CCTV was working, because the first thing the investigative officers noted when they got into Central Police Station was that the power cable of the CCTV was not connected to the socket; but on connecting it, the CCTV came back,” Wanjiku observed.
Footage wiped
“On trying to review the previous day’s events, there was nothing. So, it is very clear that the CCTV was tampered with, and we have referred the same to an expert to be able to retrieve the data. Whether the retrieval will be successful will depend on whether the hard disk was removed or it was erased.”
IPOA equally indicated that their officers were pursuing leads to verify claims by the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Director Mohammed Amin, that the deceased was allowed to call his wife and inform her of his state.
“We have statements from the DCI officers, who alleged that he talked to his wife when he was booked in, and in regard to that, we have written to Safaricom to be able to obtain the call logs to verify whether it is true he spoke to his wife,” Wanjiku said.
“Once we have the family statements (which will be taken on Thursday, June 12, 2025), the same indications will come out clearly.”
More police officers questioned
IPOA equally revealed that more police officers have been questioned and their statements recorded in connection with the death of Ojwang’ in the hands of police officers.
Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo inquired that the identities of police officers with access to the CCTV footage should be made public.
“I would like to know the digital logs entered at Central Police Station in the last five days, names of officers with digital credentials to delete CCTV footage, and names of officers who entered their credentials to delete records on the day of the death and names of officers who deleted the records soon after the transfer of the deceased to Mbagathi Hospital,” Maanzo remarked.
On his part, Uasin-Gishu senator Jackson Mandago urged the investigative agencies to reveal where the control centre of the CCTV is.
“On the matter of the CCTV, we would like to know where the control centre of the CCTV is; is it at the station, Vigilance House or the regional police commander’s office? Where is the control of the CCTV to the extent that it was switched off before the incident?” Mandago said.
