Fresh revelations surrounding the deletion of CCTV footage at Nairobi’s Central Police Station have intensified scrutiny over the death of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang, with former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Faith Odhiambo warning that the case reflects a deeper crisis within the country’s policing system.
Odhiambo said the missing footage is not merely about a single incident but exposes a broader culture where abuse can be concealed and accountability avoided.
She argued that the erasure of Ojwang’s final moments in custody represents “a mirror held up to a system that still believes torture can be hidden and truth can be edited out of existence.”
Her remarks come as court proceedings continue to reveal that CCTV systems at the station were deliberately interfered with, with critical footage either deleted or overwritten shortly after Ojwang’s death.
Investigators have already indicated that the station’s recording systems were tampered with, while a technician testified that the digital video recorder was formatted before authorities could retrieve key evidence.
Autopsy Findings Challenge Police Narrative
Odhiambo dismissed earlier suggestions that Ojwang’s death may have been accidental, pointing to findings by five pathologists who conducted a joint post-mortem.
According to her, the experts unanimously established that Ojwang suffered head trauma, neck compression and multiple soft-tissue injuries consistent with assault.
She further noted that the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) had ruled out suicide and raised concerns over interference with CCTV systems at the station.
“This is not an accident. It is a choreography of impunity,” she said, framing the case as a deliberate sequence of actions designed to obscure the truth.
Police Station ‘Turned Crime Scene’
The former LSK president warned that the developments risk eroding public confidence in law enforcement institutions.
She said a police station, which should guarantee safety and order, had instead become “the most dangerous place for a citizen who dares to speak.”
Odhiambo described each missing second of footage as an additional injustice, arguing that the deletion not only affects the investigation but also compounds the suffering of Ojwang’s family.
“Each deleted frame is an extra layer of violence against the family and against the public’s right to know,” she stated.
Her comments align with emerging evidence that portions of the deleted footage have since been partially recovered, showing activity around the holding cells during the period in question.
The recovered clips are expected to play a central role in reconstructing Ojwang’s final hours.
Link to Wider Pattern of Custodial Deaths
Odhiambo placed the case within a broader context of alleged police excesses, linking it to past incidents involving deaths and injuries in custody or during public protests.
She argued that such cases persist because institutions have yet to impose meaningful consequences on those responsible.
“Until custody deaths trigger institutional pain, dismissals, prosecutions, personal liability and reparations, officers will continue to treat the cell as a no-rules zone,” she said.
Call for Systemic Reforms
While the case is before the courts, Odhiambo stressed that justice must go beyond individual convictions.
She called for structural reforms to ensure transparency and prevent the destruction of evidence in future investigations.
According to her, the State has a heightened duty of care for all individuals in custody, and failure to uphold that duty undermines constitutional guarantees.
She urged continued public pressure for reforms, including stronger oversight, victim-centred justice, and safeguards to ensure evidence cannot be erased in critical cases.
As the trial progresses, the deleted CCTV footage and recovered fragments remain central to the prosecution’s case, with the outcome expected to test Kenya’s commitment to accountability within its security institutions.