Nairobi — A protected witness in the murder case involving the late teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang has died before he could testify in court.
Stephen Maina Nderitu, a police officer attached to the office of the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Central Police Station during Ojwang’s death, reportedly collapsed and died on Monday, hours after leaving work.
According to the information provided, a postmortem attributed his death to acute ulcers, cardiac arrest and depression.
Nderitu’s death comes at a critical stage of the case, as he was expected to give evidence touching on events surrounding Ojwang’s final hours at Central Police Station.
Witness linked to CCTV hard drive investigation
Nderitu was expected to provide evidence concerning then-OCS Samson Talam and the alleged tampering of a CCTV hard drive at the police station.
Investigators reportedly recorded a statement from Nderitu on May 18, 2025, in which he outlined details that could have helped investigators establish a clearer chain of events and accountability surrounding Ojwang’s death.
His anticipated testimony was therefore considered potentially significant to the prosecution’s case.
The officer’s sudden death now creates another challenge for prosecutors as they seek to establish what happened to Ojwang while he was in police custody.
Burial planned for next week
The circumstances surrounding Nderitu’s death are likely to attract attention given his expected role as a witness in the high-profile case.
His burial is scheduled for Friday next week, according to the information provided.
The death comes as the trial continues to examine the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s death and events at Central Police Station.
