Another petition filed in Court seeking removal of DIG KIPS Eliud Lagat from office. Photo: NPS.
A petition has been filed in Court seeking the removal of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Eliud Lagat from office, following the arrest, torture and death of Homabay X blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang’ at the Central Police Station.
The two, advocate Njiru Ndegwa and Mt. Kenya jurists, requested the court to treat the matter with urgency and heard on a priority and ex parte basis.
According to a report by Citizen Digital, the two are seeking conservatory orders restraining Lagat from accessing his office, performing the duties of DIG, or accessing any facility of the National Police Service, pending the ongoing investigations by the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA), and the commencement of prosecution against those responsible.
“Ojwang was later found severely injured while in custody, and was pronounced dead shortly after, with a government autopsy indicating torture and strangulation, contradicting initial police claims of self-inflicted injuries,” read the petition.
According to them, Lagat is a person of interest, as the Inspector General of police (IG) Douglas Kanja had confirmed that Lagat was the complainant on the case of defamation, leading to the arrest of Ojwang’ on June, 9 at his home in Mawego Homabay County.
They further cited in their petition, the reports of the Central Police Station CCTVs already tampered with, alleged cover-up of the case and other interferences in the evidence if he is not temporarily removed from office, until investigations are concluded.
“There are allegations of evidence tampering—for example, reports that the CCTV camera at Central Police Station was interfered with or disabled during the material time—which heighten fears of a cover-up if the status quo persists,” further read the petition.
The petition follows another petition filed on June, Thursday 12, by Julius Ogogoh, Khalef Khalef, Francis Auma, and Peter Agoro, who in their petition argued that investigative and persecution teams have failed to take serious action against the matter.
They alleged that the agencies have acted “capriciously, corruptly, and in a blatant manner” by refusing to investigate the senior police officer.
The petitions continue to flow, as President William Ruto assures Kenyans that the government will protect them against rogue police, even as pressure continues to mount on speedy investigations into the matte, as well as transparency.
watch video below by President William Ruto.
