NAIROBI, Kenya – The Senate was gripped by outrage on Wednesday as lawmakers demanded the resignation—and even arrest—of Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Kipkoech Lagat, following the controversial death of a 26-year-old man in police custody.
Albert Ojwang, a teacher and social media activist from Homa Bay, died on Sunday, June 8, while being held at Central Police Station in Nairobi—just a day after his arrest and transfer from his rural home.
Senator Aaron Cheruiyot (Kericho) led calls for accountability, urging Lagat to step aside to allow for independent investigations.
“Nobody has said that you’re guilty,” he said on the Senate floor. “But for the country to appreciate what really happened, he should step aside until investigations are concluded.”
The calls were echoed with even sharper demands from other senators.
“We want Eliud Lagat arrested. Let him write his statement from a police cell,” said Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale. “Maybe then he’ll understand the weight of this.”
Ojwang’s death has sparked national uproar and renewed scrutiny of police conduct, particularly around the treatment of detainees. Senators say the matter cannot be swept under the rug.
“The officers who moved Ojwang from Homa Bay to Nairobi must also be held accountable. Why are they still walking free?” Khalwale added.
In an unprecedented move, the Senate suspended its formal plenary sitting for two hours to allow for a closed-door interrogation of top security officials.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) Director Mohamed Amin, and representatives from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) were summoned for questioning.
Though informal, the session allowed all senators to directly press the officials on the circumstances of Ojwang’s death.
“This is not just another briefing. The only way we can get the truth is when statements are made under oath,” said Speaker Amason Kingi, addressing concerns about the legal weight of the session.
He assured senators that the Clerk of the Senate would compile an official report based on the meeting, which will form the basis of formal House resolutions.
Ojwang, described by friends and family as a vocal advocate for social justice, was reportedly found unconscious in his cell on Sunday morning.
He was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival. Police have said preliminary investigations are underway.
Inspector General Kanja announced on Monday that the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Central Police Station and officers on duty at the time had been interdicted to pave the way for investigations.
Still, senators insisted that accountability must go further up the chain of command.
Murkomen, expected to issue his first public statement on the incident, faces intensifying pressure to explain why Ojwang was arrested in the first place and whether due process was followed during his transfer and detention.
