Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat has been officially summoned by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) in connection with the controversial death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
IPOA Chairperson Issack Hassan confirmed in a statement on Wednesday, June 18, that the Authority had found sufficient grounds to summon Lagat, who has been repeatedly mentioned during the course of the investigations.
“Having found a basis, IPOA has issued a summons to the Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat to appear before the Authority’s investigations team to record a statement,” Hassan stated.
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The summons come just a day after Police Constable James Mukhwana gave what has been described as an explosive testimony, directly implicating both Lagat and Central Police Station OCS Chief Inspector Samson Talaam in the blogger’s death.
Mukhwana claimed the orders to “discipline” Ojwang originated from the DIG himself.
Lagat has previously admitted to filing the initial complaint against Ojwang, which led to the blogger’s arrest on June 6 — a move that now places him at the center of the unfolding scandal.
Since launching the investigation, IPOA has recorded statements from 20 police officers, including the Deputy Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Central Police Station.
Two officers — Chief Inspector Talaam and Constable Mukhwana — have already been arraigned.
The Deputy OCS, arrested on June 17, is currently being held at Muthaiga Police Station.
Additionally, four civilians have also been arraigned in connection with the case. Among them is an individual accused of tampering with CCTV footage from the station on the night Ojwang is believed to have died.
The remaining three were reportedly inmates at Central Police Station at the time of the incident.
IPOA has filed several miscellaneous applications to extend the detention of key suspects as investigators continue piecing together evidence.
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