Fireworks as Murkomen, Kanja and Amin face Senators over Ojwang's death

Senators passed a procedural motion to allow for an informal session with Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations boss, Mohamed Amin, and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority representative.

The informal setting allows all senators to directly question the top officials over the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s death in police custody.

Some senators, however, raised concerns about whether resolutions made during an informal session would carry legal weight, given that the official sitting had been suspended.

Senate Speaker Amason Kingi clarified that the Senate Clerk would prepare a formal report from the meeting, which would inform the House's official resolution and ensure legal validity.

“I can assure you that the resolutions of this meeting will be recorded by the Clerk,” Kingi said, responding to concerns raised by Senate Majority Whip Boni Khalwale.

“This is not a committee of the whole. We have suspended the sitting to hold a session with the CS, and I don’t need to report after this session.”

Senators called for the officers to speak under oath to ensure that they are bound by their statements and responses.

"We are here to hear nothing but the truth. The only way we can get the truth is when statements are made under oath,'' said Kingi.

Murkomen is expected to provide a detailed update on the status of investigations into Ojwang’s death.

It will be his first public statement on the incident, which occurred on Sunday, June 8, 2025, while Ojwang’, a teacher and activist, was in custody at Central Police Station in Nairobi.

DCI boss Mohamed Amin is also expected to clarify the role played by his officers in the arrest and whether any were involved in Ojwang’s death.

The Interior CS is facing mounting pressure to explain the circumstances of the operation that led to Ojwang’s arrest at his rural home in Homa Bay County, and his subsequent transfer to Nairobi.

On Monday, June 9, Inspector General Douglas Kanja issued a preliminary statement indicating that Ojwang was found unconscious in a police cell at Central Police Station and was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Kanja also announced that officers on duty at the time, including the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), had been interdicted to allow investigations to proceed.