A petition has been filed at the Milimani Law Courts seeking the immediate removal of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Lagat following the alleged torture and death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
The urgent application, filed by lawyer Ndegwa Njiru and a legal group known as Mt Kenya Jurists, calls for the matter to be certified as urgent and heard on a priority and ex parte basis. The petitioners are requesting conservatory orders barring DIG Lagat from accessing his office, carrying out official duties, or utilizing any facilities of the National Police Service until investigations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) are concluded.
Ojwang, a vocal critic on social media, was reportedly arrested on June 6, 2025, by DCI officers following online posts linking the DIG to corruption. He was later found severely injured while in custody and was pronounced dead shortly after. A government autopsy attributed his death to torture and strangulation—contradicting police claims of self-inflicted injuries.
The petitioners argue that as the initial complainant in the cybercrime case, Lagat is inherently conflicted and his continued presence in office could compromise the integrity of ongoing investigations. They cite alleged interference with CCTV footage and other evidence at Central Police Station as signs of a possible cover-up.
“The Deputy IG retains access to command authority and investigative resources, which raises serious concerns about potential interference in the probe,” the petition reads. The applicants stress that suspending Lagat from his duties is critical to safeguarding justice and preserving public trust in the rule of law.
In a related development, human rights activists Julius Ogogoh, Khalef Khalef, Francis Auma, and Peter Agoro have also filed a separate petition seeking to initiate private prosecution against Lagat. They accuse investigative and prosecutorial bodies of failing to act in good faith and allege systemic corruption in their handling of the case.
They further argue that Lagat’s public appearances, including one at a recent press conference, undermine the impartiality of the internal police inquiry.
The two petitions mark growing pressure on authorities to act decisively in what is quickly becoming a high-profile case of alleged police brutality and abuse of power.
