Samson Talaam, the interdicted Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, has spoken out following his arrest on Friday, June 13, in connection with the controversial death of blogger Albert Ojwang.
Talaam was apprehended in Eldoret and later transferred to Nairobi, where he is currently being held at Lang’ata Police Station. He was arrested as part of investigations into the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s death in police custody.
Through his lawyer, Danstan Omari, Talaam conveyed condolences to Ojwang’s family, acknowledging their grief and expressing a desire for the truth to be established.
“The OCS, Mr Talaam, sends condolences to the family of the bereaved. He is a father, a husband, and a citizen, and he understands the loss of life. We, as his lawyers, also offer our sympathies to the family and demand that justice be served. That is his message — that justice must be done, whether or not he is found to be responsible,” said Omari.
Talaam, however, strongly denied having any involvement in the blogger’s death. He maintained that he was away from duty at the time Ojwang was brought to the station, having handed over command to his deputy in accordance with police protocol.
According to Omari, Talaam had officially relinquished operational control, including the station’s communication devices, to his second-in-command before leaving to attend to personal matters.
“On the day of the incident, Mr Talaam had properly handed over the station to his deputy as per the standing orders of the National Police Service. He was not present when Ojwang arrived at the station,” Omari stated.
Talaam recounted that he was later contacted by an officer from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), who sought his authorisation to book Ojwang at the station. Talaam reportedly informed the officer that he was off-duty and instructed that the matter be handled by the officer in charge.
Soon afterward, Talaam received a call from his deputy, prompting him to return to the station. Upon arrival, he found Ojwang unconscious and immediately ordered that he be rushed to hospital. The blogger was pronounced dead on arrival.
Following the incident, DCI Director Mohamed Amin announced that Talaam was being treated as a person of interest in the case.
Talaam’s legal team said they intend to present video footage and phone records to confirm that he was not present at the station when the fatal incident occurred.
