Mumias East Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Salasya has called for the disbandment of the Independent Policing and Oversight Authority (IPOA) following the death of Albert Ojwang, who died in detention hours after being arrested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) officers.
In a statement on Saturday, June 14, 2025, Salasya stated that IPOA has failed Kenyans in unearthing the suspects in the murder that occurred on June 7, 2025.
“Let’s stop pretending. IPOA has failed us. Completely. It is playing kalongolo (children’s) games in a gravely serious matter: the cold-blooded death of a young man, Albert Ojwang.
“It is disturbing, even insulting, that the public already knows key suspects and details – OCS Talam, PC Mukhwana, and the DCI vehicle that ferried Albert from Homa Bay – yet the very officers who arrested him are being hidden like contraband bhang,” he lamented.
Other demands
Further, the MP has demanded that IPOA parade the DCI officers who received and presented Ojwang at the Central Police Station in Nairobi.
“I am demanding, as a concerned Kenyan, to know by face and by name the exact officers who received and presented Albert at Nairobi Central Police Station.”
“Why is it so hard, even as a basic procedure, for IPOA to parade these DCI officers before the public or have them recorded in court as witnesses or suspects?” he posed.
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Similarly, Salasya has called upon DCI Director Mohammed Amin to resign, allowing for independent investigations if he cannot present the officers involved in the matter.
“If Amin, the DCI boss, cannot present the officers who arrested Albert, then he must step aside and allow an independent investigation. In fact, he should be arraigned too, for obstruction and possible cover-up,” he added.
“This is not just about Albert. This is about the sanctity of life. Today it’s Albert; tomorrow it’s another innocent youth, or even a street child, whose life will be wasted by the same impunity machine if we remain silent.”
James Mukhwana
This comes after IPOA sought to have Police Constable James Mukhwana detained for 21 days at the Capitol Hill Police Station in connection to the murder.
Appearing before the Milimani Law Court on Friday, June 13, 2025, IPOA argued that the respondent may interfere with ongoing investigations by influencing fellow officers.
They cited a recent incident on June 8, where crucial evidence, including CCTV footage, had allegedly been tampered with.
“There is a real risk of interference. The CCTV system was already tampered with,” Ipoa’s officer Abdirahman Jibril said.
They also argue that not all suspects in the murder planning have been identified or arrested.
IPOA also raised concerns about the “blue code of silence” in the police service, warning that Mukhwana’s release may obstruct justice.
