Eliud Lagat, Kenya’s Deputy Inspector General of Police, has said Alfred Ojwang’s death was “unfortunate” and a “great loss”, as he stepped aside from his role on Monday to allow for investigations.
Lagat offered “immense condolences” to Ojwang’s family on the day President William Ruto talked with the father of the late Ojwang on phone and donated Sh2 million to the family.
Lagat bowed to pressure over the death of teacher-cum-blogger in the hands of police on June 8, only a day after officers picked him up from his Homa Bay County home.
The deputy police boss said he took the decision in “conscious thought” of his role as the DIG, adding he would cooperate with investigators.
For a week, the DIG has been under intense pressure from the public, civil society, and the Church among others to leave office over the death. Because he had officially complained about Ojwang’s social media posts, Lagat was told he was person of interest in the death of the 31-year-old father of one.
Ojwang was picked up by police officers on June 7 in the presence of his family menbers, but police reported his death the next morning.
Before a postmortem, the police claimed Ojwang’ died by banging his head against the walls of the police cells at Central Police Station in Nairobi.
However, a postmortem report showed Ojwang’ had been tortured to death, a clarification that forced the police boss, Douglas Kanja, to apologise to Kenyans over the misleading police report on the death.
In his stepping aside, the DIG has taken a well beaten path of leaving office only after furore.
In the past, some top government officials have clung to office even under a heavy hail of accusations, saying they would rather die.
