Former Nairobi Town Clerk and governance expert Philip Kisia has come out to strongly criticise IPOA Chairman Issack Hassan’s presence at the press conference where the Inspector General of Police and the Deputy Inspector General issued a statement following the controversial death of teacher and blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang.

Speaking during a podcast on Friday, June 13, 2025, Kisia condemned Hassan’s appearance at the briefing, saying it was inappropriate for the head of an independent oversight body to stand alongside the very individuals his office is mandated to investigate.

According to Kisia, Hassan’s presence at the presser eroded public trust in IPOA and cast serious doubts on the independence of the institution.

He argued that some of the officers present, including senior police officials, have been accused of involvement in the killing of the slain teacher and blogger.

Kisia emphasised that IPOA, as an independent institution, should provide clarity and accountability at such critical moments, not appear to shield those under scrutiny.

He said that Hassan’s presence suggested he was siding with the police and undermining IPOA’s credibility.

“How can you do this when you are supposed to be independent? You should not be in the same bed. What was Hassan doing at that press conference? He was standing there as if he were a Form One student. How can we have confidence in him? He did not even look confident,” Kisia stated.

IPOA revelation in Senate

He also criticised remarks made by the IPOA Vice Chairperson, Ann Wanjiku, while appearing before the Senate, where she admitted that the commission does not have the capacity to conduct ballistic analysis and relies on the DCI for forensic investigations.

Kisia argued that this dependency raises questions about the authenticity of investigations since IPOA is relying on resources from the same institution it is supposed to investigate.

“The vice chairperson was in the Senate, and what did she even say? That they don’t have the capacity? That they rely on the DCI for forensic analysis? Those are the very people you should be investigating, and you’re going to ask them for equipment to do your job? What level of incompetence is this?” Kisia added.

This comes amid times when IPOA is working around the clock to make sure that those who were involved in the murder of Ojwang are brought to book, with the latest update from them being that the deceased died at Central Police Station in Nairobi and not Mbagathi Hospital, as stated earlier.