“Orders From Above”: Constable’s Testimony Exposes Dark Plot Behind Blogger Ojwang’s Death

A storm is gathering within Kenya’s security apparatus following a chilling revelation by Police Constable James Mukhwana, who has come forward with disturbing details about the torture and death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang. What began as a suspicious death in police custody is now unraveling into a high-level scandal involving alleged state-sanctioned brutality and a calculated cover-up. 

Mukhwana, the first officer arrested in connection with the June 8 death, gave a damning statement to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), directly implicating Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat and Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam. 

According to the constable’s account, it all started on the evening of June 7 when he was summoned by his superior, OCS Talaam. He was allegedly informed of an incoming “suspect” and that orders had come from DIG Lagat to “deal with” him. When Mukhwana inquired about the risks, he says he was assured that his status as a junior officer would shield him from any repercussions. 

That night, at around 9 p.m., a black Subaru carrying a handcuffed Ojwang pulled up at the Central Police Station. The OCS confirmed the blogger’s identity before he was booked into custody. What followed, according to Mukhwana, was a horrifying session of torture carried out by four officers, each reportedly paid Ksh 2,000 to carry out the assault. 

Mukhwana described hearing blood-curdling screams shortly after Ojwang was locked in his cell. When he checked, he found Ojwang bleeding from the mouth and in severe distress. The constable pleaded for medical help, urging the deputy OCS to rush him to a hospital. But hours later, the blogger was dead. 

On the morning of June 8, Mukhwana began receiving frantic calls from fellow officers. The news had broken, Ojwang was dead. Initially, he stuck to the official story. On June 11, he gave a false statement to IPOA, part of what he says was a coordinated cover-up by officers involved. 

But the façade began to crumble. Just a day later, guilt overcame him. He returned to IPOA and offered a truthful version of events, saying he could no longer carry the burden of silence. In a moving admission, he confessed, “Ojwang was never meant to die. He was just meant to be punished.” 

These revelations have sent shockwaves across the nation, intensifying pressure on law enforcement and raising critical questions about accountability within Kenya’s police force. Hours before Mukhwana’s statement surfaced, DIG Lagat announced he was stepping aside to allow for investigations, a move viewed by many as too little, too late. 

For Ojwang’s family and the broader Kenyan public, the horror goes far beyond one man’s tragic death. It signals a deeper rot in the system, one where power can be weaponized, orders can descend without names, and lives can be extinguished without due process. 

Ojwang’s murder has become a litmus test for Kenya’s resolve to reform its police force and protect human rights. The involvement of high-ranking officers, if proven true, will shake the very foundation of public trust in law enforcement. 

What remains now is a nation demanding answers, and justice.