The six were on Monday arraigned at the Kibera Law Courts, but plea taking was deferred by Justice Diana Kavenza after two of the suspects appeared in court without legal representation.
Six suspects, including Nairobi Central Police Station OCS Samson Talaam, are set to be charged on Tuesday morning with the murder of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has already preferred murder charges against Talaam and his co-accused; James Mukhwana, Peter Kimani, John Ngige Gitau, Gin Ammitou Abwao, and Brian Mwaniki Njue.
The six were on Monday arraigned at the Kibera Law Courts, but plea taking was deferred by Justice Diana Kavenza after two of the suspects appeared in court without legal representation.
Ojwang was arrested on June 7 in Homa Bay over alleged defamatory posts targeting Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat.
He was briefly held at Mawego Police Station before being transferred to Central Police Station in Nairobi later that night, where he allegedly died in custody.
A post-mortem conducted two days later attributed his death to a combination of head injuries from blunt force trauma, neck compression, and extensive bruising across his body.
Kenyan prosecutors said they approved murder charges against six people, including three police officers, for their roles in the death of a political blogger.
In this emotional and deeply moving episode of Obinna Show Live, we are joined by the family of the late Albert Ojwang’, a beloved teacher whose life was tragically cut short after a brutal encounter with law enforcement.
Through tears and strength, the family shares:
1.How they are coping with the shocking loss
2.The plans and challenges of arranging Albert’s funeral
3.A heartfelt message of gratitude to Kenyans across the country who supported them during this unimaginable time
This episode is not just a tribute it is a reflection of justice, community, and the power of collective empathy.
Let’s keep the conversation going. Let’s keep demanding accountability. And most importantly, let’s stand with families who face injustice.
2025.6.23 MMU Student in Murder of 20-Year-Old Girlfriend Declared Unfit to Stand Trial
Editor’s Review
MMU student Eric Mutinda who is accused of killing his girlfriend, Sylvia Kemunto, has been declared unfit to stand trial.
Multimedia University (MMU) student, Eric Mutinda, who is facing a murder charge has today, Monday, June 23, been declared mentally unfit to stand trial.
The conclusion followed a psychiatric evaluation at Mathari National Teaching and Referral Hospital and the findings presented in court.
According to the psychiatrist’s report, Mutinda denied committing the crime but acknowledged he had been charged with the murder of his girlfriend and fellow student, Sylvia Kemunto.
The report further described him as fairly groomed and cooperative with difficulty, adding that his speech was low in tone and pitch and that his history was considered unreliable.
“He is not fit to plead and recommended further corroborative history from his next of kin to complete the evaluation,” the doctor stated in the report.
In light of the findings, the judge ordered that Mutinda be returned to Mathari Hospital for further evaluation.
The Prisons Department has been instructed to ensure he is accompanied by a family member during the next assessment.
Mutinda is at the center of a high-profile murder case involving Kemunto, also a first-year student who was pursuing a course in Mass Communications and Computer Science.
She went missing on March 30, 2025, only for her body to be discovered days later in a rooftop water tank at an MMU hostel.
A postmortem examination revealed she died from strangulation and also suffered blunt-force trauma to the head.
Investigations indicated that Mutinda was the last person seen with Kemunto; he is alleged to have strangled her, hid her body in a suitcase for nearly 24 hours, and later disposed of it in the water reservoir.
After the incident, Mutinda reportedly fled to Sultan Hamud in Makueni County but eventually surrendered to the police in Mtito Andei.
2025.6.21 How Chinese National Lost Ksh13 Million to Kenyan Woman
Editor’s Review
The woman reportedly switched her phone after being wired the monies.
A 38-year-old woman is in police custody after allegedly fleecing a Chinese national of $101,000 (equivalent to Ksh 13 million).
Harriet Mary Wabwire was arrested by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) stationed at the Kamukunji Police Station.
According to the DCI, the suspect posed as the director of OTD Group Limited, claiming the capacity to supply wares to the victim.
“She claimed that she was in a position to supply aluminum alloys. In her elaborate scheme, she provided the victim with a forged bill of lading and a counterfeit Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) certificate of conformity,” the DCI said in a statement.
The false documents uttered by the suspect indicated she could supply 23,890 kilograms of aluminum alloys.
She further lied to the victim that the materials had been packed and were ready for shipment from the Mombasa Port to Ningbo, China. Convinced, the victim went ahead to transfer the monies to the suspect’s bank account.
She later switched off her phone, arousing the suspicion of the victim.
He went ahead to report the matter to the authorities, whose detectives swung into action.
Using forensic leads, the detectives trailed the suspect to her hideouts in Nairobi’s Tassia area.
She was arrested and booked ahead of her arraignment.
This adds to the numerous cases of foreigners falling victim to scammers advancing their illegal trade in Kenya.
On June 11, the detectives from the Nairobi-based Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) arrested a man who allegedly impersonated one of their own and defrauded an Ethiopian refugee of over Ksh3 million.
According to the DCI, the suspect, Rev. Richard Macharia Njuguna, scammed the refugee under the false promise of securing Kenyan citizenship.
The detectives noted that the cleric, affiliated with the African Independent Pentecostal Church of Africa (AIPCA), was arrested following a complaint lodged at Capitol Hill Police Station.
The scam unfolded between December 20, 2024 and February 12, 2025 when Njuguna presented himself as an ATPU officer assigned to the Directorate of Immigration Services.
He had convinced the refugee that he had the power to facilitate the acquisition of Kenyan citizenship.
2025.6.21 Nairobi woman steals friend’s 2-day old baby, dumps it in Kisii
A woman accused of abducting a two-day-old baby will remain behind bars until the child’s mother gives her testimony in court.
Catherine Kerubo Mosweta is under investigation for allegedly stealing the newborn from Emily Mosweta, a Nairobi-based shoe shiner.
According to court documents, Catherine is accused of unlawfully transferring the baby to Kisii County, where she abandoned the infant at the home of an elderly couple before vanishing.
The court heard that the alleged offence took place on 26 May at the Tea Room bus stage in Nairobi. Catherine faces charges under the Counter-Trafficking in Persons Act, with prosecutors alleging she used deception to traffic the child.
Investigating officer Erustus Kioko reported that Emily had delivered her baby at a hospital in Kasarani and was discharged on the same day.
As she journeyed home, accompanied by Catherine, the suspect allegedly slipped away into a crowd as they attempted to board a bus to Umoja.
Emily’s efforts to find Catherine were fruitless, as the suspect had switched off her phone and gone off the radar. Unknown to Emily, Catherine had travelled to Kisii County, where she approached an elderly woman’s home under the guise of requesting drinking water.
She handed over the baby to the unsuspecting woman, claiming she needed to use the toilet, then vanished.
Left with no choice, the elderly woman began caring for the baby and eventually reported the matter to local authorities. Attempts to identify the infant’s mother during a community baraza meeting failed, and the matter was referred to the Masimba Children’s Department.
Meanwhile, Emily had filed a missing baby report at Umoja One Police Post and was directed to the children’s desk at Buruburu Police Station.
Acting on intelligence, authorities traced and arrested Catherine on 6 June in Mjambere, Nyali Sub-county, Mombasa. She was transferred to Nairobi on 8 June for interrogation.
Catherine later directed investigators to the Kisii home, where the baby was found peacefully asleep on a bed belonging to the elderly woman.
Senior Resident Magistrate Renee Kitagwa at the Makadara Law Courts ordered that Catherine be remanded until 30 June, when a pre-bail report will be presented.
2025.6.21 99-year-old Kakamega man returns home after 60 years with nothing, finds wife, sons dead
Residents of Eshisari village in Kakamega were left in disbelief when a man who vanished six decades ago made an emotional return, only to find his wife and two sons had died and been buried in his absence.
Boniface Muhandia walked back into the village he left in 1965, armed with nothing more than a walking stick and a small suitcase carrying a few clothes.
Now 99, only a handful of villagers and relatives could even recall the man who had once called Eshisari home.
Driven by hope and the need to provide, Muhandia had departed for Uganda in search of work to support his young family of four.
In the late 1970s, his wife, Chelemendia Adhiambo, joined him briefly and gave birth to two more children, a boy and a girl, before returning to their matrimonial home in Mumias East with all six children.
Tragically, his two sons passed away in the late 1990s, and his wife died just two years ago, all without him knowing.
“I left my family knowing it was my responsibility to provide for them. As a young and energetic mason, I set out for Uganda, with my first stop in Busoka, where I began working in construction,” he recalled.
“Later on, I moved to Kampala for the same job, where I worked for a long time. People loved me for my good work, and that is why I was able to live in Uganda for a long time,” he added.
Muhandia kept in touch through handwritten letters sent via post. But at some point, that connection faded.
“I used to write letters, but I lost contact with my family.”
Despite the heartache, the elderly mason expressed gratitude for returning to familiar soil, even if the house he built before leaving had crumbled with time.
“I decided to return home because many thought that I was dead, but I am extremely happy that they received me with joy and happiness, and above all, I am healthy,” he said.
Yet, the years had taken their toll, Muhandia struggled to recall the last time he saw his wife or children, or even who among them was still alive.
John Atako, 89, his younger brother, had stepped in to care for the family Muhandia left behind.
“He left a long time ago when we were youths. He travelled to Uganda and went silent, and it forced me to take up his responsibility of taking care of his family, especially after his wife came back from Uganda with an additional two children,” said Atako.
Atako added that Muhandia had forgotten most parts of his home and needed to be shown familiar landmarks to jog his memory.
“He had disowned his home, and we had to take him around and show him some of the familiar landmarks,” he said.
Peter Wabuti, 86, another younger brother, revealed that Muhandia had been brought home by a kind-hearted woman who had taken him in after finding him on the streets of Entebbe.
“He was brought back home by a good Samaritan who was a woman, and upon inquiry, the woman told us that she had been living with him for four years after she found him on the streets of Entebbe,” said Wabuti.
“The good Samaritan said my brother pleaded with her to take him to his family, and upon interrogating him, she was able to get crucial information that enabled her to locate our brother’s home.”
With his return, the family is now grappling with whether traditional rituals should be performed—after all, they had long presumed him dead.
2025.6.19 Court Sentences Duo Found Guilty of Funding Dusit D2 Terror Attack
Two men who were found guilty of financing and facilitating the 2019 terrorist attack at the Dusit D2 Hotel Complex in Nairobi have been sentenced to jail.
The duo, Mohamed Abdi Ali and Hussein Abdile Ali, had been found guilty of financing and facilitating the attack, which claimed the lives of 21 people, including foreign nationals, and left several others injured.
Lady Justice Diana Kavedza, in a ruling delivered at the Kahawa Anti-Terror Court, said the prosecution had proven its case beyond reasonable doubt against the two on all charges except count two, for which both were acquitted.
The judge on Wednesday, June 19, sentenced Mohamed Abdi Ali to 15 years for each of the 14 charges of facilitating a terrorist act contrary to Section 9A of the Prevention of Terrorism Act, which will run concurrently.
The 61-year-old madrassa teacher also received an additional sentence of 15 years for the charge of Conspiracy to commit an offence contrary to Section 23(2) as read with 23(4) of the Prevention of Terrorism Act 2012.
At the same time, the court sentenced Hussein Mohamed Abdille Ali to serve 15 years’ imprisonment after he was convicted of an offence of Conspiracy to commit an offence.
Dusit D2 terror attack suspects Sentenced
The 22-year-old also received another 15 years for Facilitation of a Terrorist Act under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The sentence will run consecutively.
Delivering the sentence on Thursday, Lady Justice Kavedza ruled that the court was satisfied that the prosecution had proved its case against the two beyond reasonable doubt.
The Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) submitted to court that the Dusit D2 complex attack resulted in the tragic loss of 21 vibrant and enterprising professionals, and the survivors have continued to grapple with the lasting effects of the attack, living with trauma that haunted their daily lives.
The DPP highlighted in court a victim impact statement report that was filed by the Probation and Aftercare Service officer stating that one of the survivors has bullets lodged in his body, leading to ongoing medical complications and substantial medical bills that strain his financial resources.
In addition, American national Joseph Spindler narrated to the court how his son’s life was cut short in the terrorist attack.
Submissions
In his victim impact statement report to court ahead of sentencing, Spindler recalled how his firstborn child, Jason Spindler, died at 40 years old in a country he enjoyed working in, and losing him was a wound that never heals.
“Your Honor, I’m not here for revenge but for justice. Under Kenyan law, those who collaborated with terrorists must face the full weight of justice. Jason was a survivor, a doer, and a visionary. He deserved a future, not a grave marked by the shrapnel from a terrorist’s suicide vest,” said Spindler in his statement.
The court also heard that prior to the attack, the employees at the Dusit D2 complex enjoyed enhanced income through salaries, bonuses, and incentives linked to the charges of the tenants who fully occupied the complex, with occupancy rates plummeting to 100% with human traffic approximately 2,500 daily.
After the terror attack, the occupancy rates declined to 55%, and human traffic reduced to about 200 people daily.
The DPP urged the court to grant maximum sentences to the convicts and that the sentences should run consecutively to enable them to reflect on the severity of their actions.
He also advocated for a stringent, deterrent sentence to be imposed, serving as a strong message against future acts of terrorism and affirming the justice system’ commitment to holding perpetrators accountable for their crimes.
The shocking rise in femicide cases has led activists to adopt red lipstick as a symbol of their fight for government action and legal reforms aimed at protecting women from violence.
This initiative, called Project Red Lipstick, comes at a time when the country has witnessed a series of femicide incidents.
Recent cases include a heartbreaking story of 3.5 year-old Wamaitha, who was found strangled in Maragua and 31 year-old Naomi Chebet, who was murdered by her partner in Kangemi.
What’s even more troubling is that many of the accused are still free, revealing some significant gaps in Kenya’s justice system.
The campaign is being led by Usikimye Organisation, in partnership with Ogilvy Africa and Joanna K Cosmetics. Their main goal is to address the critical issue that Kenya does not currently recognise femicide as a distinct crime, instead viewing it as a type of murder.
“This leads to inadequate data collection, inconsistent prosecution and perpetuation of impunity,” campaign organisers state in their submission to the Dr. Nancy Baraza-led Femicide Taskforce.
The campaign’s red lipstick symbol has gained traction on social media, with women posting photos wearing the signature shade alongside stories of violence and calls for justice. Campaign hashtags like #MakeFemicideACrime and #EndFemicideKe have garnered thousands of posts.
Organisers have submitted thorough recommendations to Kenya’s Femicide Taskforce, urging recognition of the ongoing crisis and a commitment to take legislative action.
“The systematic and brutal killing of women and girls in Kenya demands an urgent, comprehensive and unwavering response from the government,” the campaign states.
The organisers emphasise the serious nature of femicide in Kenya, insisting that it requires an immediate response from the government to uphold women’s rights to life and equality, as outlined in the constitution.
2025.6.17 Three individuals charged with MP Were murder denied bail
The court has ordered a probation report to be prepared, with both the investigating officer and the probation officer indicating that they require 30 days to compile before it is presented for the court’s consideration.
The case will be mentioned on 17th July
The prosecution has lined up 35 witnesses to testify in the case
The High Court has declined bail applications for three accused persons in the murder of Kasipul MP Charles Ong’ondo Were.
William Imoli alias Imo, Edwin Odour Odhiambo alias Machuani, and Ebel Ochieng alias Dave Calo were charged before the Kibera High Court, where they all pleaded not guilty to the murder charge before Lady Justice Diana Kavedza.
The accused persons, jointly with others not before the court, are alleged to have murdered Hon. Were on the night of April 30, 2025, at around 7:40 p.m.
The incident reportedly occurred at the City Mortuary Roundabout along Ngong Road in Kilimani Sub-County, Nairobi County.
Justice Diana Kavedza ruled that the three cannot be released at this stage due to the serious nature of the charge, which is murder.
The DPP filed an affidavit through the investigating officer urging the court not to grant the accused persons bond or bail pending the hearing and determination of the case.
The court was told that during the arraignment of the accused persons on June 4, 2025, Ebel Ochieng alias Dave Calo issued an explicit order to one of the prosecution counsels in open court—a fact that was duly noted by the Judge.
The DPP opposed the bond, stating that the firearm used to fire the fatal bullet was recovered from Edwin, linking him directly to the murder. William is alleged to have driven the vehicle used to trail the MP from Parliament, while Ebel reportedly procured a mobile phone and fraudulently registered a SIM card used in coordinating the murder.
A separate request by Shigali to attend his mother’s burial was also denied, with the Judge stating that granting such permission would set a bad precedent.
The prosecution further revealed that William and Ebel had constant communication with another suspect, who was the deceased’s bodyguard. The said suspect is expected to be charged with murder before the Milimani High Court.
The court also heard that Edwin was found in possession of two firearms, one of which was allegedly used in the murder of the MP and had also been involved in a series of other criminal activities in Nairobi and Kiambu Counties.
According to the autopsy report, the late MP sustained multiple gunshot wounds, all entering from the left side of his body. The recovered bullets, metallic jackets, and spent cartridges were submitted for ballistic analysis.
The prosecution has lined up 35 witnesses to testify in the case.
The court directed the probation officer to prepare a detailed pre-bail report. The case will be mentioned on July 17, 2025, for further directions.
In the meantime, the accused will remain in custody.
2025.6.16 Kenya’s deputy police chief steps aside as blogger’s death investigated
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — Kenya’s deputy police chief stepped aside on Monday as investigations into the death of a blogger while in custody continue.
The death of Albert Ojwang, who was accused of defaming Deputy Inspector General Eliud Langat, sparked days of protests in Nairobi. Several demonstrators were injured and property destroyed.
Langat said on Monday that he was stepping aside “in view of the ongoing investigations” into the death of Ojwang. He failed to acknowledge that he was the complainant.
“I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident,” Langat said in a statement.
Langat’s boss, Inspector General Douglas Kanja, previously said that investigations into Ojwang’s online activities started after Langat filed an official complaint.
Ojwang was arrested on June 6 in western Kenya and driven 400 kilometers (248 miles) to Nairobi for publishing what police said was “false information” on social media.
He was found dead two days later at the Central Police Station and police attributed his death to “hitting his head against the cell wall.” A pathology report refuted the police account. It said the deceased had “head injury, neck compression and other injuries spread all over the body that are pointing towards assault.”
The officer commanding the Central Police Station, Samson Talam, and his colleague, James Mukhwana, were arrested last week. The detectives leading the investigation requested more time to examine the case.
President William Ruto on Friday said that his government would “protect citizens from rogue police officers” and called for investigations into Ojwang’s death.
The blogger’s death came almost a year after several activists and protesters were abducted and killed by Kenyan police during finance bill protests. The demonstrations led to calls for the removal of Ruto.
Kenya has a history of police brutality. Ruto previously vowed to end brutality and extrajudicial killings.
NAIROBI, Kenya (AP) — The death in Kenya of blogger Albert Ojwang in police custody has touched off demonstrations in the capital. Protesters have been carrying signs saying “Stop killing us” and “Where is justice for Albert?” while bracing themselves against tear gas canisters and water canons fired by police.
The anti-corruption blogger was arrested June 6 and accused of publishing false information about a top police official. He died two days later in police custody. A police officer was arrested Thursday in connection with his death.
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