NAIROBI, Kenya – A coalition of civil society organizations is demanding the immediate investigation of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat following the death in custody of teacher and social media activist Albert Ojwang, who was arrested last week over an allegedly defamatory post.
In a statement issued on Monday, the Police Reforms Working Group – Kenya (PRWG-K) said Lagat’s role must be scrutinised, citing serious questions over the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s arrest, detention, and subsequent death at Central Police Station in Nairobi.
The group described Ojwang’s arrest by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) as “excessive and unjustifiable,” pointing out that the alleged offence—publication of false information—is a misdemeanour under Kenyan law.
“Why would the Directorate of Criminal Investigations use so much public taxes to arrest Albert Ojwang in Homa Bay and drive 350 km past several police stations and courts to Central Police Station, Nairobi?” the statement read. “Why would a suspect commit suicide after peacefully complying with an arrest and actively calling for family and friends to raise bail for him?”
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja on Monday confirmed that DIG Lagat was the complainant in the case, saying Ojwang was being investigated for tarnishing the senior officer’s name online.
Kanja has denied any wrongdoing by police, stating that Ojwang was found unconscious in his cell during a routine check and was pronounced dead on arrival at Mbagathi Hospital.
But the PRWG and other activists have cast doubt on the official narrative, alleging a possible cover-up.
The coalition said efforts by Ojwang’s father, the family’s lawyer, the President of the Law Society of Kenya, and officials from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to access the crime scene at Central Police Station were obstructed by the unexplained absence of senior officers.
“The deliberate disappearance of key officers raises serious concerns about obstruction of justice,” the PRWG said.
The group has called for the immediate arrest and questioning of all officers who had contact with Ojwang during his detention.
They also urged IPOA and the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights (KNCHR) to secure the crime scene, preserve all relevant evidence, and independently interview witnesses and detainees.
While the National Police Service has since interdicted or suspended several officers who were on duty during the incident—including the Officer Commanding Station, duty officer, and cell sentry—civil society groups say that is not enough.
“The death of Albert Ojwang is not an isolated incident,” the statement added. “Once again, Kenyans must confront the ugly reality that senior police officers are at the centre of widespread and systematic arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances, and deaths in custody.”
The coalition, which includes Amnesty International Kenya, the Independent Medico-Legal Unit, the International Commission of Jurists (Kenya Chapter), and the Social Justice Centres Working Group, is now calling for the Kenyan government to invite an independent UN fact-finding mission to investigate the growing number of deaths and disappearances linked to police action.
“Without independent and external investigation, these practices shall remain a threat to Kenyan lives, the rule of law, national security and the public interest,” the group warned.
The PRWG said it would provide legal and psychosocial support to Ojwang’s widow, child, and wider family, and is also arranging for an independent pathologist to witness the post-mortem examination.
