Key Witness in Albert Ojwang' Murder Case Dies

A protected witness in the Albert Ojwang' murder case is dead. 

Stephen Maina Nderitu, a police officer attached to the OCS office during the controversial death of Albert Ojwang, died on Monday hours after leaving work. 

Nderitu collapsed and died, with a postmortem report citing acute ulcers, cardiac arrest, and depression as the causes of death.

His death comes at a critical juncture in the murder trial, where he was expected to testify and provide crucial links between the then OCS Samson Talam and the tampering of the CCTV hard drive at Central Police Station. 

Investigators say his statement, recorded on May 18, 2025, had already outlined sensitive details that could have tightened the chain of accountability in the case.

The sudden loss of Nderitu now casts a shadow over the trial, stripping the prosecution of a key witness whose testimony was meant to stitch together fragmented accounts of Ojwang’s final hours. 

His burial is scheduled for Friday next week.

He was on duty when Ojwang was clobbered to death. He also witnessed the tampering with CCTV footage that captured the events leading to Ojwang's death.

His colleagues said he had been looking frail and stressed. They did not know the cause of his condition.

A senior officer at the station, Samson Talaam, is among those facing murder charges over the death of the teacher.

The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) had lined up 28 witnesses for the trial into the death of Ojwang', who died on June 7, 2025, while in police custody at Nairobi Central Police Station.

The prosecution has told the court that the teacher was tortured and strangled while in custody, with CCTV footage from the police station also allegedly deleted.

Six other witnesses have since been placed under tight protective custody after prosecutors warned of a significant risk of interference.

The hearing of the case is set to continue in December 2026.

Meanwhile, a 59-year-old military officer died after he collapsed while exercising along Thika Road in Ruiru, Kiambu County.

The deceased, identified as Warrant Officer I Thomas Mbaria Wachira, who worked at the Department of Defence, collapsed at about 9.30am while exercising along the busy highway on Monday, witnesses and police said.

A Good Samaritan was driving along the road when he saw the officer collapse. He stopped and offered assistance before rushing him to Juja Road Hospital.

Medical personnel at the hospital established that the man was a military officer and arranged for his transfer to the hospital at Kahawa Barracks for further medical attention.

However, he was pronounced dead on arrival at the military facility at about 9.30am.

The deceased's body was taken to the police station in an ambulance, where it was assessed by Directorate of Criminal Investigations personnel.

Police said there were no visible injuries on the body.