Two Police officers have been jailed after a court found them guilty of murdering a suspect while in custody at Nyamatoki Police Post in Nyamira County in 2019.
In a statement dated April 28, 2026, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) stated that Police Corporal James Ogwagwa Nyakina was sentenced to 30 years in prison, while Police Constable Jackson Kirui Kipngeno received a 10-year sentence.
“Two police officers charged with the murder of a suspect in Nyamatoki police cells in Nyamira on 19th August 2019 have been jailed. James Ogwagwa Nyakina, a police corporal, was sentenced to serve 30 years’ imprisonment, while Jackson Kirui Kipngeno, a police constable, was sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment,” read part of the statement.
The court established that the prosecution successfully proved the murder case against the officers.
Court Jails Two Officers Over Murder in Custody in Nyamira
According to the prosecution, the officers were on night patrol with other colleagues when they arrested the deceased and took him to the police post.
Also Read: Tragedy as Another Kenyan Dies in Police Custody
It was at the station where the court found that the two officers assaulted Amos Kemosi Kereri.
The ODPP further stated that the injuries inflicted during the assault proved fatal, and the suspect was later pronounced dead after being taken to the hospital the following morning.
“The prosecution established that the two officers, while on night patrol together with other police officers, arrested the deceased and took him to the said post, where the two assaulted him, and when he was taken to the hospital the following morning, he was pronounced dead,” read part of the statement.
The prosecution presented evidence from 14 witnesses to support the murder charge and establish the events leading to Kereri’s death.
Joel Chirchir, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions, prosecuted the case.
Kenyans Who Have Died in Police Custody
This ruling is among the most anticipated within the country following the deaths of Kenyans in police custody, including the death of Albert Ojwang.
Albert Ojwang was a 31-year-old teacher and blogger from Homa Bay County whose voice resonated across social media platforms.
Like thousands of Kenyans, he used these platforms to comment on current affairs, critique government actions, and engage in political discourse; activities protected by Kenya’s Constitution as fundamental rights to freedom of expression.
On June 7, 2025, Ojwang was arrested in his home village in circumstances that immediately raised red flags.
According to his father, police officers who came for him offered no clear explanation for the arrest, mentioning only that Ojwang had insulted the Deputy Inspector General on social media by accusing the official of being corrupt.
Also Read: IPOA Swings Into Action After Death of Simon Warui in Police Custody
Ojwang was then transported more than 350 kilometers from Homa Bay to Nairobi, where he was detained at the Central Police Station.
The following morning, on June 8, Albert Ojwang was found dead in his cell. The police’s initial explanation claimed he had died by suicide, allegedly hitting his head against a cell wall in what they implied was self-inflicted harm.
However, after Forensic experts conducted the post-mortem examination, the examination revealed evidence of blunt-force trauma, neck compression, and multiple soft-tissue injuries; injuries consistent with assault, not suicide.
The medical evidence suggested that Ojwang had been beaten while in custody, raising the horrifying possibility that he had been tortured or killed by the very officers meant to protect him.
His death triggered an immediate and powerful response from fellow Kenyans who sought justice over his death while in custody.
