DCI Under Fire as IPOA Uncovers Link Between Ojwang Case and Officer Taalam
This discovery casts fresh doubt on DCI’s narrative and suggests a more coordinated operation than initially acknowledged.
DCI under renewed scrutiny as IPOA links officers to hawker Ojwang’s controversial disappearance and death. Photo/People's Daily.
By Ruth Sang
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) remains under intense scrutiny following new revelations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which have further entangled the agency in the controversial disappearance and death of Ojwang, a hawker who died shortly after being taken into custody.
IPOA sources have confirmed that the driver of the unmarked Subaru that picked up Ojwang was in regular contact with Chief Inspector Taalam, an officer already under the spotlight for alleged involvement in previous enforced disappearances.
This discovery casts fresh doubt on DCI’s narrative and suggests a more coordinated operation than initially acknowledged.
Investigators obtained call logs showing numerous phone calls and text exchanges between the Subaru driver and Taalam, both prior to and following Ojwang’s apprehension along Moi Avenue in Nairobi. These records contradict earlier claims that the arrest was unplanned or routine.
Ojwang’s family has expressed cautious optimism in response to the findings. “This confirms what we’ve suspected all along — this was no random act. They were targeting him,” a family member said.
Public pressure is building on the DCI to take accountability. Human rights organizations and civil society groups are calling for the immediate suspension of implicated officers and for Taalam to face a formal investigation.
IPOA has indicated that it is pursuing several leads and may soon recommend criminal charges for those found complicit. “This case is being handled with the utmost seriousness. No individual is above the law,” an IPOA spokesperson affirmed.
The case has intensified the ongoing national conversation around police misconduct and impunity. Protests have erupted across Nairobi, with demonstrators demanding transparency, accountability, and justice for Ojwang and other victims of alleged state violence.
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