Prominent lawyer Willis Otieno has challenged the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to immediately release CCTV footage in their possession that could shed light on the suspicious death of 31-year-old teacher Albert Ojwang.
This comes after DCI boss Mohamed Amin told Parliament that his office had video evidence confirming that Ojwang was in good health when he was handed over to the Central Police Station.
In a significant development, newly released CCTV footage has cast a troubling shadow over the circumstances surrounding the death of blogger Albert Ojwang, revealing a shocking delay by police officers in securing urgent medical attention upon his arrival at Mbagathi Hospital.
The footage, obtained by a local television station on Saturday, June 14, 2025, captures the police vehicle at the hospital precisely at 1:35 am.
Lawyer Otieno, taking to his official X account on Sunday, June 15, 2025, said the DCI can no longer hide behind vague claims or bureaucratic silence.
“If the footage exists, release it; if it doesn’t, explain why. And if it was deleted, someone must be held accountable for evidence tampering,” Otieno said.
He emphasized that in any case involving a death in custody, transparency is not optional but a constitutional requirement.
“This is not just about Albert Ojwang. It is about justice, accountability, and the integrity of our policing institutions,” he said.
Otieno’s statement
The circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s death have sparked nationwide outrage and renewed scrutiny of police conduct in Kenya. According to family members, Ojwang was arrested under unclear circumstances and later died while in police custody.
Civil society organizations, including the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU), have also weighed in, calling for an independent investigation and the immediate suspension of officers involved pending the outcome.
Otieno further warned that failure to release the CCTV footage could be interpreted as a cover-up and urged Parliament’s Justice and Legal Affairs Committee to compel the DCI to produce the video evidence under oath.
“There must be no sacred cows in this case. The truth must come out. If the DCI is serious about its duty to the public, let it show us the footage it says exists. Let Kenyans judge for themselves,” Otieno asserted.
In his earlier X tweets, the lawyer said that Amin’s statements have since been disproved by timestamped CCTV footage from Mbagathi Hospital, which shows Ojwang’s body being wheeled in by police officers at 01:35 am.
“DCI Mohamed Amin lied under oath. He must be prosecuted. When DCI Mohamed Amin appeared before Parliament and claimed that Albert Ojwang was found alive at 01:35 AM in Central Police Station cells, he did not make a mistake. He lied under oath. This lie has now been demolished by timestamped CCTV footage from Mbagathi Hospital, which shows Albert’s lifeless body being wheeled in by police officers at that same time, 01:35 AM,” Otieno stated.
“You cannot be dead in Mbagathi and alive in police custody at the same time. One version is a lie. The lie came from the very man meant to uphold the integrity of criminal investigations in Kenya. This is perjury, punishable under Kenyan law. It is obstruction of justice. It is an abuse of office. It is active participation in a cover-up of murder. Amin must be arrested, suspended from office, and prosecuted without delay. The law cannot be enforced by those who break it.”
