Former police spokesperson Charles Owino has come to the defense of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Lagat following growing calls for his resignation over the death of Albert Ojwang’ in police custody.
Ojwang’ died on Sunday while being held at Nairobi’s Central Police Station, days after DIG Lagat filed a defamation complaint against him. The circumstances of his death have sparked public outrage and calls for accountability, with many blaming Lagat for initiating the chain of events that led to the tragedy.
Speaking to Citizen TV on Tuesday, Owino argued that it is premature to demand Lagat’s resignation, emphasizing that due process and investigations must take their course. “Calling for Lagat to step down at this stage is too early because the person who has actual responsibility of custody is the OCS and his officers,” he said.
Owino also suggested that the backlash against Lagat is politically motivated. “He has gone through a lot of attacks in the last two months. We have had politicians saying their person was removed to put another one in. It’s like something coordinated for a purpose that he should not be in that office,” he remarked, asserting Lagat’s right to file a complaint as any other citizen would.
Police have claimed Ojwang’ sustained fatal self-inflicted injuries by repeatedly hitting his head against his cell wall. However, Owino questioned the plausibility of that account, pointing to the absence of witnesses. “You can only come up with a theory of someone hitting his head if he was with two or three other people who could have witnessed. If there was nobody, how do you come up with this theory?” he asked.
An autopsy scheduled for Monday did not take place and was postponed to Tuesday, June 10. Owino stressed the importance of the postmortem and urged investigators to determine whether there was any unauthorized access to Ojwang’s cell during the night.
Meanwhile, the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) has called on the police to provide full transparency and release the names of all officers involved in Ojwang’s transfer and detention. LSK President Faith Odhiambo specifically urged Inspector General Japhet Koome to reveal those who have been interdicted over the incident.
As investigations unfold, public scrutiny continues to mount, with civil society groups and legal professionals demanding answers over a death that has once again placed the conduct of law enforcement under the spotlight.
Written By Rodney Mbua
