The High Court in Kibera on Monday heard fresh testimony alleging that CCTV footage at Central Police Station was deliberately erased following the death of detainee Albert Ojwang, as the prosecution presented three key witnesses in the ongoing murder trial. 
By Fredrick Kioko,
NAIROBI, July 20 – The High Court in Kibera on Monday heard fresh testimony alleging that CCTV footage at Central Police Station was deliberately erased following the death of detainee Albert Ojwang, as the prosecution presented three key witnesses in the ongoing murder trial.
The six accused are former Central Police Station Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Samson Kiprotich Talaam, alongside James Mukhwana, Peter Kimani, John Ngige Gitau, Gin Ammitou Abwao and Brian Mwaniki Njue.
The prosecution team, led by Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions Jalso Makori, continued presenting evidence before Justice Diana Kavedza in a case that has attracted widespread public attention.
A protected witness, identified only as DAN, testified that they installed the station's CCTV system in 2024 and were summoned to the station on June 8, 2025. The witness told the court they were instructed to erase footage recorded on June 6 and 7, but explained that selective deletion was not technically possible. Instead, the Digital Video Recorder (DVR) had to be fully formatted.
According to the witness, they confirmed the recordings existed before formatting the DVR, saying they did not watch the footage. DAN further claimed they were paid KSh3,000 by former OCS Samson Talaam after completing the task.
The witness also alleged they were later asked to return with two hard drives but were informed they were no longer needed after purchasing them. DAN told the court they were instead paid KSh20,000 before later being arrested by investigators from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), where they recorded a statement.
A second witness, CCTV technician Aaron Okwako, testified that he examined the DVR on June 9, 2025, after being called to Central Police Station while IPOA officers were already at the scene. He told the court the DVR had been disconnected from the power supply and resumed recording only after being reconnected.
Okwako said his technical assessment indicated the device had been formatted rather than selectively edited, making recovery of the missing footage impossible.
The third prosecution witness, a protected records officer identified as AA, testified that the OCS informed them on the morning of June 8 that a detainee had died in the cells.
The witness said they later reviewed CCTV footage with the Deputy OCS and allegedly observed Police Constable Kimani accompanied by two unidentified individuals walking towards the last cell before later emerging while carrying what appeared to be a heavy object back towards the same cell. The witness, however, said they could not identify what was being carried.
The hearing continues on July 21, 2026, as the prosecution seeks to strengthen its case against the six accused.
