Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat Steps Aside

Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat has stepped aside pending investigations into the death of a teacher Albert Ojwang.

In a statement dated June 16, 2025, Lagat said the move was in “good and conscious thought” of his role and responsibilities.

He cited the ongoing investigations into Ojwang’s death as the reason for temporarily vacating office.

“I have today opted to step aside… pending completion of investigations,” he stated.

Lagat added that his deputy will perform the office’s functions until the investigations conclude.

He expressed willingness to support the investigation process and extended condolences to Ojwang’s family.

Ojwang died after an alleged assault while in custody at Central Police Station, Nairobi.

The case has triggered public outrage and led to the arrest of the station’s OCS, Samson Talam.

Investigations are ongoing, led by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA). 

The stepping down came after he met President William Ruto to ask him to step aside to allow the ongoing probe.

There has been pressure for his exit from the service over the death.

Inspector General (IG) Douglas Kanja told Senators on June 11 that the probe started when online posts claimed DIG Lagat was involved in corruption within the National Police Service (NPS).

Kanja said the process began on June 4, 2025, when Langat filed a formal complaint with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

The complaint concerned a series of posts on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter) accusing Langat of corrupt activities within the National Police Service.

The case was filed under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act, and a team of five officers was assigned to investigate.

On the same day, Senior Superintendent Hillary Mutai, who heads the Serious Crimes Unit, recorded Langat’s statement at Vigilance House.

The investigators also wrote to the EACC to verify the claims made in the social media posts and reached out to the Communications Authority of Kenya (CAK) to request registration details and preservation of content from the X account in question.

CAK responded, confirming the account was active and had approximately 13,400 followers.

The EACC also replied on June 4, clarifying that Langat was not under any investigation.

Kanja stated that investigators concluded the allegations lacked factual basis, but CAK directly linked the X posts to specific individuals, including the late Ojwang.