Police Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat has once again been left struggling to delink himself from the killing of blogger and teacher Albert Ojwang, after the High Court dismissed his attempt to have a petition seeking his suspension thrown out.
On Friday, October 3, 2025, Justice Chacha Mwita ruled that the court had jurisdiction to hear the petition that challenges Lagat’s continued stay in office despite public outrage over Ojwang’s death in police custody. The judge stated, “The issues raised are not purely about employment but touch on constitutional interpretation and legality of actions taken by the respondent.”
Lagat, through lawyer Cecil Miller, had argued that the matter should be handled by the Employment and Labour Relations Court.
He insisted that his stepping aside was an internal police service decision. “What is before you as a petition is an issue relating to employment and an internal decision of the police service,” Miller told the court.
However, petitioners maintain that Lagat cannot wash his hands off the case since Ojwang’s detention and subsequent death followed a defamation complaint lodged by the DIG himself.
“You cannot accuse a man, have him arrested, and when he dies in custody, claim it is a routine employment matter,” one activist outside the court said.
Police DIG Eliud Lagat salutes during a past event. Photo: NTV Kenya Source: X
Ojwang, a popular online influencer, died on Sunday, June 8, 2025, while being held at Nairobi Central Police Station. His death triggered street protests across Nairobi and Kisumu, with civil society groups demanding accountability at the highest levels of the National Police Service.
Despite publicly announcing that he had stepped aside in June, Lagat has continued discharging duties, a move that the petitioners term deceptive. “The DIG is playing both judge and jury in his own case. That is unacceptable,” the lead petitioner told journalists.
The ruling has piled more pressure on Lagat, who is accused of attempting to shield himself and close allies from scrutiny. The case will proceed for full hearing in November, keeping the spotlight firmly on the police boss as the family of Ojwang and the public continue demanding justice.