NAIROBI, Kenya — Former Chief Justice David Maraga has directly blamed President William Ruto for the murder of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang, who died while in police custody, saying the government has failed to protect its citizens from police brutality.
Maraga, who delivered a petition to Vigilance House on Monday, warned that if Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat does not resign by June 25, nationwide protests would target the presidency itself.
“The buck stops with President William Ruto in the Albert Ojwang murder because Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat is taking time to resign,” Maraga said, accusing the regime of overseeing a rapid rise in police killings.
He added that he will personally join Kenyans in the streets if no action is taken against Lagat, who is at the centre of a growing public outcry over Ojwang’s death.
Police on High Alert as Protests Loom
During Maraga’s appearance, police cordoned off Vigilance House, Nairobi’s police headquarters, where he presented the petition demanding Lagat’s removal and arrest.
The former CJ said there is credible evidence linking Lagat to Ojwang’s death, and accused independent investigative bodies of lying under oath in an attempt to shield senior officials from accountability.
“Albert’s murder is the last straw. This administration has for long taken Kenyans for granted,” said Maraga, declaring the government unfit to lead in light of what he termed a pattern of systemic abuses.
Tortured, Strangled, and Killed in Custody
Ojwang was arrested on June 7 at his home in Homa Bay County, allegedly for posting content on social media that was critical of DIG Lagat.
He was transferred to Nairobi’s Central Police Station, where he died the following day.
A government post-mortem report revealed he was tortured, strangled, and severely assaulted—findings that have intensified public outrage and calls for justice.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has since arrested at least three police officers in connection with the case.
IPOA has also launched a probe into allegations that inmates were used to torture Ojwang.
Spike in Killings Under Ruto Administration
Maraga accused the Kenya Kwanza administration of overseeing an alarming increase in enforced disappearances and extrajudicial killings, claiming they have risen by 450% since Ruto took office.
“It is not normal, acceptable or defensible for enforced disappearances to rise by 450 per cent in just one year,” he said.
His remarks add weight to mounting criticism of the government’s handling of police accountability, with teachers in Kilifi threatening to down their tools and civil society groups calling for urgent reforms in the security sector.
