Talaam, five others denied bail after pleading not guilty in Omondi’s murder case

All the six suspects in the murder case of teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang have pleaded not guilty.

Appearing before Kibera High Court Judge Diana Kavedza, the Nairobi Central Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Kiprotich Talaam, police officers James Mukhwana, Peter Kimani and John Ngige Gitau together with Ammitou Abwao, and Brian Mwaniki Njue took pleas after failing to do so yesterday after Gitau and Kimani stated that they lacked legal representation.

The court heard that Talaam was OCS, Mukwana served as the daytime cell sentry, Kimani was in charge the night shift cell sentry and Gitau was under investigation for a separate murder case but had been detained at the station at the time of the incident.

The court denied them bail despite their lawyers saying they were not flight risks.

This is after the prosecution urged the court to find that it had presented compelling reasons under Article 49(1)(h) of the Constitution to deny them cash bail.

These included concerns that the accused pose a flight risk, could interfere with witnesses and ongoing investigations, represent a threat to public order and safety, and that their release would undermine the fairness and integrity of the trial.

It was further submitted that the accused, being serving police officers, possess significant operational knowledge, access to firearms, and influence over internal police systems, including familiarity with witnesses and records — all of which could be used to compromise the case.

The prosecution also referenced the widespread public protests and outrage triggered by Ojwang’s death, cautioning that releasing the suspects could escalate tensions and pose a threat to public peace.

The five took a plea today after the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) approved the murder charges against the six as recommended by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).

In a statement shared by the ODPP indicated that it had approved murder charges against six suspects alleged to have been involved in the murder of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang.

“Consequently, the DPP has approved murder charges against six individuals. They include: Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Kiprotich Talaam, James Mukhwana, who held the keys to the cells on the fateful night, and Peter Kimani, who was the Cell Sentry on duty at the time. Civilians John Ngige Gitau, Gin Ammitou Abwao, and Brian Mwaniki Njue will also face the charges,” the ODPP confirmed in a statement.

Taalam, who was the OCS at the time of the fatal incident, together with the two officers, were interdicted by National Police Service as investigations by IPOA kicked in.

Ojwang died while in police custody at the Nairobi Central Police Station, where he was being held after arrest in Homa Bay earlier this month after Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat, who has since stepped aside, launched a complaint at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters accusing Ojwang of tarnishing his name.