The investigation into the death of high school teacher Albert Ojwang in police custody has taken a dramatic turn after a 23-year-old CCTV technician confessed to being paid to tamper with surveillance footage at Central Police Station in Nairobi.
The technician, who was arrested in Saika on Friday during a special operation by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), told investigators that he was summoned to the station on June 8, 2025, and taken directly to the office of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), Samson Talaam.
In a statement recorded by the DCI, the technician claimed the OCS and another officer instructed him to erase CCTV footage from June 6 and 7—critical dates tied to Ojwang’s suspicious death in the station’s cells.
“I told them footage can’t be deleted selectively. The only way is to format the entire hard drive, which wipes all data and resets the system,” the technician said.
He further alleged that the OCS paid him Sh3,000 for the job and warned him not to wear reflective gear or appear in any uniform when coming to the station to avoid drawing attention. According to the technician, he was asked to return the next day, June 9 at 6:28 am, with a new hard drive to replace the tampered one.
However, upon arriving, he found the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) already opened and interfered with—indicating that internal tampering had already taken place.
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The technician previously installed 25 CCTV cameras across the Central Police Station in 2024, covering areas such as the reporting office, cell corridors, parking lot, and both floors of the building.
His shocking revelation has added fuel to suspicions of a deliberate police cover-up aimed at destroying evidence linked to Ojwang’s death.
DCI Director Mohammed Amin, while addressing the Senate, said the new developments point to the OCS being a central figure in the case.
“The claim that Albert banged his head on a wall is the narrative pushed from Central Police Station. It should be taken with a pinch of salt,” Amin stated firmly.
Amin added that the confession has elevated the status of OCS Talaam from a mere witness to a prime suspect in the ongoing investigation.
The Ojwang case has stirred national outrage, with civil rights groups, teacher unions, and members of the public demanding transparency and justice. The new revelations suggest that the efforts to conceal the truth may have involved multiple actors within the police force.
The technician remains in custody and is expected to provide further assistance in the ongoing probe, even as calls grow louder for a full independent inquiry into Ojwang’s death.
By Joseph Mambili
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