“Safaricom dragged to court in Ojwang’s death probe”, June 14, 2025

Kenya’s largest telecommunication provider, Safaricom, finds itself at the center of a legal battle following the death of blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang, with the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) moving to court to compel the company to release crucial phone records. IPOA has filed an application seeking orders to force Safaricom to provide access to phone numbers allegedly connected to person involved in Ojwang’s killing over the weekend. The authority wants investigator Addirahman Jibril authorized to access account opening details, registered subscribers. Call data record, and travel patterns for 17 specific phone numbers. The requested data covers the critical period between June 4, 2025, from 5:00 a.m., to June 8, 2025, up to midnight – timeframes invsetigators believe are crucial to understanding the circumstances surrounding the 31 year-old social media commentator’s death

According to court papers, IPOA is investigating Ojwang’s death in custody under Section 203 of the Penal Code, exercising its statutory mandate under the Independent Policing Oversight Authority Act. The authority argues that Safaricom holds “crucial information and documentation that will significantly aid in ensuring a comprehensive, impartial, and conclusive investigation into this incident.” The application specifically requests that Safaricom nominate an authorized officer to issue a Certificate of Production of Electronic Evidence, as required under Section 106B (4) of the Evidence Act, to ensure the admissibility of any electronically generated evidence in legal proceedings. IPOA maintains that the required information will help identify registered users of the listed phone numbers and analyze their communication and movement patterns during the period under investigation/ The legal action comes amid mounting pressure on Safaricom, which has vehemently denied any involvement in Ojwang’s arrest and subsequent death.

In a statement issued by CEO Peter Ndegwa on Wednesday, the telecommunications giant expressed “deep concern” over allegations linking the company to the controversial case. “At no point was there any contact between Safaricom and any security agency in investigating or arresting the later Albert,” Ndegwa stated categorically adding that the company only learned of the arrest through media reports. The company’s denial follows accusations from former Attorney General Justine Muturi who alleged that Safaricom was “complicit and a facilitator in the tracing and abduction of Kenyans” and threatened legal action or service boycotts against the company. The communications Authority of Kenya has also distanced itself from the controversy, dismissing as “factually erroneous” claims circulating on social media that it provided location data to law enforcement agencies…