A protected witness in the Albert Ojwang murder case has died before testifying in court.
Stephen Maina Nderitu, a police officer attached to the OCS office, died on Monday. His death came months after the controversial death of Ojwang.
Nderitu reportedly collapsed after leaving work. He died shortly afterwards.
A postmortem report cited acute ulcers, cardiac arrest and depression as causes of his death.
His death comes at a critical stage of the murder trial. The prosecution expected Nderitu to testify in the case.
Nderitu was expected to provide information linking former OCS Samson Talam to the alleged tampering of a CCTV hard drive at Central Police Station.
Investigators recorded Nderitu’s statement on May 18, 2025.
The statement reportedly contained sensitive details about events surrounding Ojwang’s death.
His testimony could have helped investigators connect different accounts of Ojwang’s final hours.
Nderitu’s death now presents another challenge for the prosecution.
The prosecution has lost a key witness who could have provided important evidence in the case.
The circumstances surrounding his death could attract further attention as the trial continues.
Nderitu’s family plans to bury him on Friday next week.
