CCTV technician tells court Central Police Station DVR was formatted after Ojwang’s death in custody

CCTV technician tells court Central Police Station DVR was formatted after Ojwang’s death in custody
CCTV technician tells court Central Police Station DVR was formatted after Ojwang’s death in custody - Albert Ojwang who was arrested at his family home in Kakot, Homa Bay County, and ended up dead in police custody in Nairobi. (Photo: File)
Albert Ojwang who was arrested at his family home in Kakot, Homa Bay County, and ended up dead in police custody in Nairobi. (Photo: File)

Listen to article

3 min listen
Audio reading is not supported on this browser.
Ready

Thanks for listening. Continue with a related story, or tap the speaker icon on the next page to listen.

Related story

High Court suspends Ruto's order placing IPOA under Interior Ministry

Carolyne Kubwa  ·  4 days ago
Read next Opens a fresh page.

A CCTV technician told the High Court that the recorder at Nairobi Central Police Station had been formatted before investigators examined it, leaving no footage for the dates surrounding Albert Ojwang's death in police custody.

The High Court has heard that the digital video recorder (DVR) linked to the CCTV system at Nairobi Central Police Station had been formatted, preventing investigators from recovering footage from the period surrounding the death of teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang, who died on the night of June 7, 2025, while in police custody.
The evidence emerged during the murder trial of former Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam and five co-accused.
The prosecution's first witness, CCTV technician Aloni Okwako, testified that he was called to the station on June 9, 2025, after his employer instructed him to inspect a DVR that had reportedly developed a technical fault.

More To Read

Okwako told the court that when he arrived, officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) were already at the station and asked him to inspect the DVR, which was located in the OCS's office, and assist in retrieving CCTV footage.
"I found the DVR switched off because the power cable had been disconnected, although the CCTV cameras were still powered on," Okwako testified.
He said he reconnected the power supply and switched the device back on while IPOA officers photographed and documented every step of the process.

Latest Stories

According to Okwako, investigators specifically requested footage recorded on June 6 and June 7, 2025. However, after accessing the system and searching the recordings, he found no footage for those dates.
"When I checked the system, I found that the DVR had been formatted and there was no footage available for June 6 and June 7," he told the court.
Okwako further testified that after opening the DVR, he noticed some of its internal components had already been removed before IPOA officers completed documenting the device.
The prosecution is relying on the testimony to support its case that CCTV records at Central Police Station were tampered with following Ojwang's death while in police custody.
Former OCS Samson Talaam and his five co-accused have denied the murder charges. The trial continues before the High Court.

Other Topics To Read

Top Stories Today

Comments

0
Loading comments...

Trending

News | |
News | |
Health | |
News | |
Coast | |
Health | |
News | |
Education | |
Education | |
Democratic Republic of Congo | |

Latest Stories

Police IG Kanja, DIG Lagat face court over alleged failure to enforce Gatoto School orders
Headlines | |
One avocado a day may help lower heart disease risk in adults with obesity, study finds
Headlines | |
Construction of Daba Airstrip begins in Tana River, boosting hopes for emergency response
Coast | |
Senegal’s President Bassirou Faye takes charge of ECOWAS as bloc faces security and unity challenges
Africa | |
Health unions threaten prolonged strike over Sh8.9 billion UHC workers employment plan
Headlines | |
𝐄𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐥𝐞𝐢𝐠𝐡 𝐕𝐨𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐍𝐞𝐰𝐬 - Health workers begin nationwide strike over CBA implementation
Videos | |
Team Kenya fired up for Commonwealth Games as athletes receive rallying call
Athletics | |
Talk therapy keeps depression at bay for up to eight years, major study finds
Headlines | |
Judiciary rejects LSK boycott call, insists courts will remain open as it defends reforms and independence
Headlines | |
Police killings under spotlight as ex-LSK boss Faith Odhiambo demands investigation updates
Headlines | |
Road crashes claim more than one million lives every year despite being preventable
Headlines | |
Coast leaders accuse Gachagua of undermining region’s economy over tourism remarks
Coast | |

Popular Stories This Week

Heavy rains forecast across Kenya this weekend, residents urged to take precautions
Charity Kilei |
Tanzania bans use of foreign currencies for local transactions
Maureen Kinyanjui |
Pakistan working on second round of US-Iran peace talks - reports
DW News |
Turkish airlines to suspend 18 international routes starting May
Mary Wambui |
State directs Saccos to cover losses from KUSCCO scandal
Eastleigh Voice Reporter |
KMTC announces 5,000 training slots for March 2025 intake
Charles Adinda |
Govt to slash civil servants’ hardship allowances in policy overhaul, saving Sh6bn annually
Maureen Kinyanjui |
Forgot your Safaricom number? Here is a simple way to get it
Margaret Wanjiru |
Denmark suspends green-sector work permit processing for applicants from Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania
Rachael Mutabasi |
Defence CS Soipan Tuya among 52 graduates at National Defence College ceremony
Mary Wambui |
Gachagua impeachment challenged in Court as lawyers allege constitutional violations
Carolyne Kubwa |
Marathon world record holder Sawe receives heroic welcome after historic London Marathon triumph
Erick Kariuki |
KCSE exam results to be released in January as KNEC enhances cheating scrutiny
Maureen Kinyanjui |
OpenAI reportedly building AI-powered smartphone to rival iPhone
Margaret Wanjiru |
Details of the new salary structure, housing allowance changes for civil servants
Maureen Kinyanjui |
Passport shock: Kenyans to pay Sh12,500 as cheaper options disappear from eCitizen portal
Lucy Mumbi |
UN: Don't allow Israel-Iran conflict to spark new refugee crisis
DW News |
Exclusive: Somali referee Omar Artan secures US visa, cleared to officiate at 2026 FIFA World Cup
Bashir Mbuthia |
Somalia’s risky power extension amid emerging rivalries
Addis Standard |
Nairobi set for rail transformation as gov’t, World Bank partner on 10 major commuter projects
Lucy Mumbi |
OPINION: Shifting alliances, growing threats: Eritrea’s shadow over Tigray, rising risks across northern Ethiopia
Addis Standard |
How to change your name or unlist your number on Truecaller
Margaret Wanjiru |
Nairobi apartment prices fall in key suburbs amid oversupply and weak demand
Alfred Onyango |
Nairobi court dismisses money laundering count against Mike Sonko, orders defence on tender charges
Carolyne Kubwa |
Ruto ranked most corrupt person globally after ousted Syrian president Assad
Mary Wambui |
Forbes global rich list (2026)
Charity Pancras |
Fresh gunfire along border rekindles tensions between Uganda and South Sudan
Mwangi Maina |
Explainer: Why the 2026 FIFA World Cup ball comes with battery that needs charging before every match
Bashir Mbuthia |
KUCCPS reopens application portal for 2025 KCSE candidates
Rachael Mutabasi |
Australia bans YouTube, TikTok for under-16s, enforces strict age checks and heavy fines
Margaret Wanjiru |