Salasya pens letter to Murkomen with 9 demands over Ojwang’s death
Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has formally written to the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration, Kipchumba Murkomen, demanding urgent answers and accountability over the mysterious death of Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
In a statement on X on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, Salasya raised nine specific demands to the Cabinet Secretary following a series of disturbing events surrounding Ojwang’s arrest, detention, and subsequent death.
These demands include clarification on the arrest and transfer of Ojwang, the conditions of detention, access to medical attention, the identity of the medical examiner, body transfer irregularities, post-mortem transparency, evidence and witness protection accountability measures, and long-term measures.
“Pursuant to Standing Order 42A of the National Assembly Standing Orders, I wish to ask the Cabinet Secretary for Interior and National Administration the following question by private notice,” read the letter in part.
The demands
Below are the questions
- Could the Cabinet Secretary explain the circumstances surrounding the arrest of Albert Ojwang on Friday, June 6, 2025 in Homa Bay County on allegations of false publication and the rationale for his subsequent transportation to Nairobi?
- What were the conditions of detention and the nature of interrogation Mr. Ojwang was subjected to at the Central Police Station, Nairobi, where he was booked on Saturday, June 7, 2025, at 9:35 PM?
- What medical attention, if any, was offered to Ojwang prior to being found unconscious in the police cells during a routine check on the morning of Sunday, June 8, 2025?
- Could the Cabinet Secretary provide the identity and official report of the medical officer at Mbagathi Hospital who declared Ojwang dead on arrival at around 1:39 AM on Sunday, June 8, 2025?
- Why was the body of the deceased not preserved at Mbagathi Hospital Mortuary, and under whose authority was it transferred to the City Mortuary?
- Has the government initiated a comprehensive, independent post-mortem and forensic investigation to ascertain the actual cause of death, and will the family be allowed to appoint an independent pathologist for a second opinion?
- Has the Ministry secured CCTV footage from Central Police Station and statements from all officers and inmates present during Mr. Ojwang’s detention?
- What immediate actions has the government taken to suspend officers involved, preserve evidence, and prevent potential interference with investigations?
- What measures is the ministry putting in place to safeguard the rights and safety of persons in police custody as enshrined under Articles 49 and 51 of the Constitution of Kenya?
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Chairperson Issack Hassan has stressed that the commission has already deployed a team to probe the controversial death of Ojwang in police custody.
Addressing the press on Monday, June 9, 2025, at the Central Police Station in Nairobi, Hassan assured Kenyans that IPOA would conduct an intensive investigation aimed at establishing the truth and ensuring justice prevails.
“Our mandate is to uphold the rule of law and protect citizens from any form of abuse by the police. We shall leave no stone unturned in uncovering the circumstances that led to Ojwang’s death,” he affirmed
