Deputy IG Eliud Lagat.
By PETER MWIBANDA
NAIROBI, Kenya .
Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat was questioned behind closed doors this week by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) in connection with the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang, who died in police custody nearly two weeks ago.
No journalists were allowed inside the three‑hour session. IPOA released no statement on what Lagat said, what evidence was presented or what comes next.
The agency also did not confirm when—or even how—the senior officer entered and left its offices.
The secrecy has deepened public suspicion.
“Justice must be seen to be done,” said David Otieno, a Nairobi‑based human‑rights lawyer. “Holding a clandestine hearing undermines confidence in the entire process.”
Ojwang, 33, was a popular education blogger known for highlighting social‑justice issues.
He was arrested on undisclosed charges and later pronounced dead at a Nairobi hospital.
Police have not released an autopsy report, and family members say they have received no official explanation.
Kenya’s constitution requires the police to act professionally and respect human rights.
IPOA was created in 2011 to investigate police misconduct, but critics say high‑profile cases often stall once senior officers are involved.
IPOA spokesperson Anne Makori said only that the investigation “is active and ongoing.” She declined further comment.
Ojwang’s relatives want the full interrogation record made public and are demanding that any officers found responsible face prosecution.
Activists plan nationwide vigils next week.
“If they can hide what happened to a respected teacher, what about the anonymous young men in informal settlements?” asked Wangari Kamau of the Police Reform Network. “The culture of impunity must end.”
Kenyan police have long faced allegations of extrajudicial killings.
A 2024 IPOA report linked officers to at least 145 deaths in the previous year. Few cases have led to convictions.
IPOA has the power to recommend criminal charges, but Kenya’s public prosecutor decides whether to act.
What’s next?
IPOA says more witnesses will be interviewed “in the coming days.”
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations is expected to receive IPOA’s findings before any arrests.
Parliament’s Security Committee has summoned Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki to explain how the inquiry is being handled.
For Ojwang’s family, answers cannot come soon enough.
“We just want the truth,” his brother, Peter Ojwang, told reporters outside IPOA offices. “Albert spoke for the voiceless. Now we speak for him.”
Contact Peter Mwibanda at pmwibanda@example.com.
