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DIG Eliud Lagat Resigns Amid Uproar Over Blogger Albert Ojwang’s Death in Custody

DIG Eliud Lagat Resigns Amid Uproar Over Blogger Albert Ojwang’s Death in Custody

Lagat’s Sudden Exit After Blogger’s Tragic Death

Kenyans woke up to rattling headlines this week as Eliud Kipkoech Lagat, the country’s Deputy Inspector General, unexpectedly resigned after 25 years in uniform. The move follows the shocking death of blogger Albert Ojwang while in police custody—a case that's raised big questions about police power, accountability, and freedom of speech in Kenya.

Ojwang’s last months were marked by bold posts online. He didn't hold back, openly accusing Lagat of corruption related to the placement of officers in high-stakes branches of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations and the traffic police, spots rumored to come with serious financial and influence perks. Lagat responded by filing a defamation complaint, which led to Ojwang’s swift arrest. Days later, the blogger was dead—a tragedy that tossed the spotlight onto Kenya’s policing system.

The chain of events moved quickly, but public anger spread even faster. Hashtags questioned the murky boundaries between the police force and freedom of expression. Commentators, activists, and civil society figures demanded more than empty promises: they wanted those responsible for Ojwang’s death held to account, whether rank-and-file or high command.

Pressure Mounts on Police Oversight and Civil Rights

Lagat’s departure doesn’t come in a vacuum. Before all this, he was considered one of the service’s brightest stars—a former GSU Commandant, expert in bomb disposal, counterterror operations, and a holder of serious academic credentials: a Master’s from the University of Nairobi in Armed Conflict and Peace Studies, and a Bachelor’s in Automotive Technology. His walls likely gleam with honors like the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS), Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW), and a Head of State Commendation (HSC). None of that seemed to matter when Ojwang’s death made the headlines.

Human rights groups like Vocal Africa wasted no time, releasing statements that cut straight to the core: justice and full transparency from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), which has already faced its own criticisms about handling allegations of police misconduct. The message was clear—Lagat might have stepped down, but the pressure to deliver answers has only just begun.

For now, Lagat’s deputy has taken the reins in an acting capacity, but the police service is under a microscope. Law enforcement’s relationship with critics, especially outspoken media figures, is right back on the national agenda. For a country balancing security needs with hard-fought civil liberties, this case forces a wider conversation about just who is protecting whom in Kenya—and at what real cost.

The only certainty? The story is still unfolding, and those at the top will have to navigate questions that go well beyond a single resignation—especially as the demand for Eliud Lagat and his officers to face scrutiny grows louder by the day.

Jun 17, 2025
SIYABONGA SOKHELA
13 Comments
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13 Comments

Shelby Mitchell
June 18, 2025 AT 08:04

Hmm.
Kasey Lexenstar
June 18, 2025 AT 23:40

Of course the guy with a Master’s in Peace Studies and a medal for counterterrorism gets to walk away. Meanwhile, a blogger who dared to name names is dead. This isn’t accountability. It’s a PR reset with a side of performative humility.

They don’t fire the system. They just swap the face on the poster.
Kurt Simonsen
June 19, 2025 AT 09:47

Lagat didn’t kill him. The system did. And the system is still running. 🤡

They’ll call it a 'transition.' We know it’s a cover-up with a retirement party.
Michelle Kaltenberg
June 20, 2025 AT 06:33

I find it deeply troubling that we are witnessing the erosion of free expression under the guise of national security. The dignity of the individual must always outweigh institutional convenience. This is not merely a Kenyan issue-it is a global bellwether.
Trevor Mahoney
June 20, 2025 AT 08:54

You think this is random? Nah. Ojwang was onto something bigger. Lagat didn’t just have corrupt officers-he had a whole network feeding off state contracts, fake surveillance tech, and offshore accounts tied to the traffic unit. The guy who arrested Ojwang? His cousin runs the company that sold the body cameras that 'malfunctioned' during the arrest. The I.P.O.A. report? Drafted by a firm owned by Lagat’s brother-in-law. They’re not just covering up a death-they’re burying an entire pyramid scheme disguised as law enforcement.
Jitendra Patil
June 20, 2025 AT 13:20

This is what happens when you let bloggers with no training, no uniform, no discipline, think they’re journalists. Lagat kept Kenya safe from terrorists and gangs. Albert Ojwang? He wrote angry tweets. Now we’re supposed to cry because a man who broke the law got arrested? What’s next-protesting because the police didn’t like his grammar?

Kenya doesn’t need more chaos. We need strong men who don’t flinch when the streets get loud.
mona panda
June 20, 2025 AT 15:11

idk why everyone’s so shocked. it’s kenya. someone dies in custody? big deal. next week someone will get arrested for posting a meme about the president’s hair.
Evangeline Ronson
June 20, 2025 AT 18:56

This moment reflects a global tension between authority and dissent. The tragedy of Ojwang’s death is not merely a failure of policing-it is a failure of imagination. What if we could build systems where criticism doesn’t lead to silence, but to reform?

Kenya has the opportunity to become a model-not by punishing one man, but by redesigning accountability from the ground up.
Cate Shaner
June 21, 2025 AT 00:36

Lagat’s Master’s in Armed Conflict and Peace Studies? Cute. That’s like a hedge fund manager with a certificate in ethics. The man spent 25 years in a paramilitary structure that rewards obedience over integrity. His resignation isn’t moral-it’s strategic. He knew the optics were untenable. He didn’t care about Ojwang. He cared about his pension.
Thomas Capriola
June 21, 2025 AT 06:05

He’s still breathing. The blogger isn’t.
Rachael Blandin de Chalain
June 21, 2025 AT 13:34

The procedural integrity of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority must be rigorously re-examined. Without independent verification and transparent reporting mechanisms, no resignation, however symbolic, can restore public confidence.
Soumya Dave
June 22, 2025 AT 09:07

Let’s not forget-this isn’t just about one man or one blogger. It’s about every young person in Kenya who wants to speak up but fears being erased. Lagat stepping down? Good. But now we need action. We need reforms. We need youth-led oversight committees. We need real change-not headlines. The energy is here. Let’s channel it into something that lasts.
Jared Ferreira
June 22, 2025 AT 16:32

I just want to understand what happened. Not the politics. Not the symbols. Just the facts. Who was with Ojwang when he died? What did the medical report say? Who signed the paperwork? I’m not angry. I just want to know.