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By Juliet Akoth
Nairobi, Kenya: The Police Reforms Working Group–Kenya (PRWG-K), an alliance of 21 national and grassroots organizations dedicated to fostering professional, accountable, and human rights-compliant policing, has demanded justice for the late blogger Albert Ojwang. The coalition is also calling for the immediate stepping down of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Mr. Eliud Lagat, citing a serious conflict of interest in the ongoing investigations into Ojwang’s death.
The call was made during a press briefing held on Wednesday at the Kenya Human Rights Commission (KHRC) offices in Nairobi, where the coalition issued a statement demanding accountability and transparency in the investigations in Ojwang’s untimely demise. According to the group, Lagat’s position as both a complainant in the matter and the current head of the Kenya Police undermines the integrity of any investigation into the tragic events leading to Ojwang’s death.
“We call for the immediate stepping aside of Mr. Eliud Lagat, the Deputy Inspector General and head of the Kenya Police, who has been revealed to be the complainant in the matter that led to the arrest of Albert Ojwang,” the press statement read in part.
“Mr. Lagat must, in the public interest, allow for an impartial and speedy investigation. Investigation into the death of Albert Ojwang cannot be impartial or be seen to be impartial while the complainant is at the helm of investigation” they said.
The coalition also urged the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to take swift and decisive action. Specifically, they are calling for IPOA to summon and take statements from Mr. Lagat, Officer Commanding Station (OCS) Central Police Station Mr. Talam, and all other officers who were involved in the arrest, booking, and detention of Ojwang. The group emphasized that failure to take action would further erode public trust in law enforcement and oversight institutions.
During the press briefing, KHRC Executive Director Davis Malombe underscored the gravity of the matter, reiterating the coalition’s unwavering demand for accountability. “We won’t relent until he [Lagat] goes home. There is this culture of lack of responsibility which enables this kind of behavior. This must be the end of it. We are also tired of dealing with these kinds of issues so the Lagat issue should be a case study of how the powerful and the mighty must be held accountable,” said Malombe.
Echoing these sentiments, Sheila Masinde, the executive director of Transparency International called for the arrest of all officers involved from the moment of Ojwang’s arrest in Homabay to his eventual detention and alleged mistreatment at Nairobi Central Police Station. “All the officers who were involved from the arrest of Ojwang in his rural home to being taken to Nairobi, to the ones who created the initial statements alluding he died by suicide must be held accountable. They must be investigated by IPOA. Why are the people who have given us false information still walking freely?” she posed.
Wangechi Kahuria of the Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) reinforced the urgency of IPOA’s mandate to deliver justice. “Our message to IPOA is that being an independent entity, they have to ensure that justice is delivered. They have a mandate to investigate, document thoroughly and promptly, and to pass all the findings to the Directorate of Public Prosecutions (DPP). We are also urging the DPP to ensure that the prosecution is done in an efficient way in which it should be done,” she stated.
Kahuria went further to challenge all state agencies to fulfill their constitutional mandates or risk losing public legitimacy. “We are actually saying that all these state agencies must deliver as per their mandate; otherwise, they have no reason to be in office. Put an end to arbitrary arrests and execution of people for no reason,” she said, adding that they have already documented 45 cases of deaths at the hands of the police.
As public outrage over Ojwang’s death continues to grow, the PRWG-K remains committed to ensuring that this case is not swept under the rug. They are demanding nothing less than full accountability, transparency, and justice, not just for Ojwang, but for all victims of police brutality.
