James Mukhwana, the prime suspect in the murder of Albert Ojwang, is set to remain in police custody and be detained at Capitol Hill Police Station as investigations into the murder continue.
In the latest development, Magistrate Robinson Ondieki at the Milimani Law Courts directed that Mukhwana be held for a week, pending the hearing of his case.
Ondieki set the hearing date for Friday, June 20, when he will deliver his ruling on whether Mukhwana will be released or remain in police custody.
“On whether he will remain in custody or be released, the date for the ruling has been set on the 20th of this month. In the meantime, he will be detained at the Capitol Hill Police Station,” the judge stated.
This comes after the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) requested that the suspect be detained for 21 days to allow for investigations.
Mukhwana was the first notable arrest in the murder of Ojwang, whose case has gained significant nationwide attention.
The officer, attached to the Central Police Station, was apprehended on Thursday, June 12.
“Please be informed that an officer of Central Police Station Nairobi, was arrested today, 12/06/2025 and placed in custody at Capitol Hill Police Station by officers from the Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) and the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA),” a memo released on the evening of Thursday, June 12 read.
The arrest followed an extensive investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which revealed to the Administration and Internal Security Committee that an arrest announcement would be confirmed on Thursday.
On Wednesday, IPOA released the names of six officers involved in the arrest of Ojwang’ from the Leaders Centre in Homa Bay County on Friday, June 7.
Notably, the arrested officer was not among the names released by Vice Chairperson Ann Mwangi before the Senate.
While it remains unclear whether the arrested officer was directly involved in Ojwang's killing, his apprehension was believed to be linked to glaring inconsistencies in how officers handled the situation when the late influencer was first brought to the station.
Ojwang was arrested at his home in Homa Bay County on Friday by DCI officers. The influencer was arrested on allegations of publishing false information, questioned on Saturday, and booked under OB number 136/7/6/2025 at 9:35 pm.
