A Nairobi Court has, on Friday, June 20, 2025, detained Police Constable James Mukhwana for 21 days.

Mukhwana is a person of interest in the murder of blogger and teacher Albert Omondi Ojwang.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), in a miscellaneous application lodged at Milimani Law Courts, sought to detain Mukhwana for the 21 days granted to complete investigations into the matter.

In his ruling, Milimani Principal Magistrate Robinson Ondiek stated that IPOA and the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP) submitted enough compelling reasons to detain the Constable.

“I am strongly persuaded that this is a public interest case, and as we wait for the investigation to be completed, I hereby order the respondent (Constable Mukhwana) be detained for 21 days, including weekends and public holidays,” Magistrate Ondiek ruled.

Additionally, he said that the days shall run from June 13, 2025, when the officer was first arraigned in court.

Magistrate Ondiek also stated that the defence is at liberty to apply when a change of circumstances arises under Article 60(3) of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Meanwhile, Mukhwana’s lawyers, led by Kevine Ondago, Clinton Mwale, and Chesengo Enock, informed the court that their client had requested them to urge the court not to release him.

The defence team said that their client felt he would not be safe if released, urging the court to detain him for more days.

“There are sentiments that we want the court to take note of—that the respondent (Mukhwana) wants to remain in custody for the purpose of his safety,” the defence team told the court.

IPOA, through a miscellaneous application, sought to detain Constable Mukhwana for 21 days to enable them to complete their investigations.

They stated that they intend to investigate him over the murder of Ojwang’, contrary to Section 203 as read with Section 204 of the Penal Code.

According to the Senior Assistant Director of Investigations with IPOA, Abdirahaman Jibril, they have established that Mukhwana was the cell sentry on the night in question, with access to the cells where the deceased was brutally assaulted to death.

“That the preliminary investigations have revealed that there is a high likelihood that the respondent (Constable Mukhwana), together with other persons at the Central Police Station, brutally assaulted the deceased inside the cells, leading to his death,” part of the miscellaneous application read.

Officer Jibril also revealed that through interrogation of witnesses, it has emerged that Mukhwana was in constant communication with people within and outside Central Police Station immediately before, during, and after the commission of the crime.

He also stated that there is a high likelihood that the communication was to plan the assault of the deceased and to brief the callers on the outcome.

Further, the officer stated that the request to detain the Constable was to ensure he does not interfere with the investigations, citing that there is a high chance of him tampering with the process, together with other persons of interest who are still at large.

“All the persons suspected to have been involved in the planning and execution of the murder of the deceased are yet to be arrested,” Officer Jibril stated in the application.