The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has filed an application seeking to detain Samson Talaam, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, for 21 days to allow further investigations into the death of Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody.
In documents filed on Monday at the Milimani Law Courts, IPOA cited the need for additional time to conclude investigations, arguing that Talaam’s release could compromise evidence or lead to witness intimidation.
“The Applicant requires an additional twenty-one (21) days within which to complete investigations and that the Respondents be detained at the aforementioned police station,” read part of the application.
Preliminary findings by IPOA point to suspected police misconduct and potential human rights violations. The authority alleges that Talaam and other officers—some still at large—may have been involved in planning, executing, and attempting to cover up a fatal assault on Ojwang while he was being held in the station’s cells.
Ojwang was arrested on June 8 by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) following a complaint by Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, linked to a social media post.
He was transported from Homa Bay to Nairobi and booked at the Central Police Station, where he was later found dead under what IPOA described as “highly suspicious” circumstances.
Talaam was arrested on June 13 in Eldoret after a day-long manhunt. Authorities say he had turned off his phone in an attempt to evade arrest.
He was eventually located, apprehended, and handed over to IPOA for processing.
IPOA has since named Talaam as a prime suspect after multiple witnesses allegedly implicated him in the events leading to Ojwang’s death.
