Three civilians who officials believe were used by police to torture to death teacher Albert Ojwang were arrested on Sunday in an operation in Nairobi.
The three are said to have been suspects in the cells at the Central police station over different crimes when they were picked up and tasked to beat up Ojwang for information.
They told the Independent Policing Oversight Authority they were taken to the cell where Ojwang was held for the mission.
This was after some of the suspects in custody had been freed by the same police officers to create room for the holding of Ojwang in solitary.
One of the officers under arrest is said to have even provided them with a riot baton that they used in the mission.
After the victim collapsed in the cells, the three were freed.
They were arrested after investigations linked them to the murder, and they are expected in court on Monday, June 16, IPOA officials said.
This came as police and officials from IPOA said they cannot trace two other
police officers wanted over the murder.
They were on duty at the station on June 7 when the incident
happened.
The arrest of the civilians marks another step in the
probe into the tragedy that has caused national fury.
So far, police have questioned more than 20 people in connection with the murder of Ojwang. They include 17 police officers and six civilians.
Two police officers, including the Officer Commanding Station Samson Talam and
Constable James Mukhwana, have been arrested over the murder of Ojwang.
They are accused of participating in or facilitating the murder. Talam spent his weekend at the Langata police cells, where he once served as the deputy station commander.
Ojwang was arrested in his Homabay home over claims of false publication and brought to Nairobi, where he was booked and later clobbered to death.
He died on June 7, hours after his arrest and detention in the cells.
Also in custody is a technician who tampered with the CCTV camera system at the station.
The detectives, backed by IPOA, arrested the technician who installed a CCTV camera system at the station.
The technician is the same one who was called to delete and format the system after the murder of Ojwang.
He has admitted his involvement in the mission and added he was paid Sh3,000 for the work.
Experts were trying to recover the lost data to back the ongoing investigations.
IPOA was allowed to detain Mukhwana for a week as investigations continue into the death of Ojwang.
Mukhwana was arrested on June 12, and IPOA argued that releasing him at this point would be likely to interfere with the crime scene, evidence, including critical documents. IPOA is also awaiting forensic analysis of mobile phones linked to the suspects and results from the government chemist to aid the probe.
Police and IPOA are pursuing the matter.
