CCTV footage shows Albert Ojwang alive moments before being locked in police cells

The hearing in the murder case involving the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang continued on Tuesday, with CCTV footage showing the deceased arriving at Nairobi Central Police Station alive and making phone calls before he was escorted to the police cells, where prosecutors allege he was later fatally assaulted.

The footage was presented before the Kibera High Court by Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) forensic investigator Joshua Mutua, who testified that the recovered CCTV recordings captured Ojwang arriving at the station at about 9.23pm on June 7, 2025.

Mutua told the court that Ojwang remained responsive, was seen talking on his mobile phone, and later sat in the report office for about 15 minutes before being escorted to the holding cells.

The witness further testified that forensic examination of the station's CCTV system established that its power cable had been disconnected and that the system's hard drives were formatted on the morning of June 8, 2025.

He said investigators were nevertheless able to recover hundreds of gigabytes of footage, which was authenticated using forensic tools.

Mutua continues leading the court through the CCTV footage, identifying police officers and other persons captured at various locations within the station as the murder trial continues.

During the earlier proceedings before the Kibera High Court, a protected witness identified Police Constable Peter Kimani as the officer serving as the cell sentry on the material night.

CCTV footage played in court showed Kimani at various locations within the station, including outside the cell block and at the station's main entrance.

The witness testified that, under police procedures, the cell sentry is the only officer authorized to grant or deny access to the police cells.

Those permitted entry may include investigating officers, suspects being booked into custody, and individuals delivering food to detainees.

According to the witness, the cell sentry also has the authority to refuse entry to anyone seeking access to the cells and bears responsibility for any incident occurring within the cell block while on duty.

As the CCTV footage was played, the witness pointed out two unidentified men who were seen speaking with PC Kimani at the station's main entrance before proceeding further into the premises.

While the witness positively identified Kimani, she told the court that the identities of the two men had not been established.

The court also viewed footage from different cameras positioned around the station. The witness explained what each camera captured and identified key locations within the police station, including the main entrance, corridors, and areas leading to the cells.

The footage was presented to help reconstruct the movements of officers and other individuals within the station on the night Albert Ojwang was detained.

The CCTV evidence forms part of the prosecution's case as it seeks to reconstruct the sequence of events before and after Ojwang was taken into custody.

Earlier proceedings heard allegations that CCTV footage from the station had been deleted and that the station's Digital Video Recorder (DVR) was later formatted, claims the prosecution alleges were intended to interfere with evidence.

Former Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, Police Constable Peter Kimani, Police Constable James Mukhwana, and three civilians are jointly charged with the murder of Albert Omondi Ojwang. All the accused have denied the charges, and the hearing continues before the Kibera High Court.