The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) has dismissed claims that Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Lagat was interrogated by its top officials over the controversial death of blogger Albert Ojwang’ in police custody.
In a statement issued on Friday, IPOA clarified that while DIG Lagat did appear before the Authority on Thursday, June 19, he was not questioned by the chairperson, Ahmed Issack Hassan, or CEO Elema Halake, as previously reported by some media outlets.
“Lagat was received and processed by the technical investigation team handling the case. This is in line with IPOA’s principle of maintaining the integrity of investigations by ensuring a clear separation between operational and policy-making roles,” the statement read.
The clarification comes after public pressure mounted for transparency, with many Kenyans demanding the release of Lagat’s recorded statement regarding the custodial death of Ojwang’.
The Authority also addressed concerns raised in court by lawyer Danstan Omari, representing Chief Inspector Samson Talaam, one of the officers under investigation, regarding the alleged misuse of Talaam’s mobile phone while in IPOA custody. Omari alleged that the phone, and its password, had been used to defraud Kenyans, prompting him to call for the IPOA offices to be declared a crime scene.
Responding to the allegation, Chairperson Hassan stated that the device had been seized lawfully by IPOA’s forensic experts and was securely stored. He also confirmed that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) had been asked to probe the matter, though no evidence of misuse had been substantiated thus far.
Meanwhile, IPOA confirmed that a court had granted its request for more time to hold suspects in the ongoing investigation into Ojwang’s death. The Authority reiterated its commitment to conducting the inquiry independently, impartially, and swiftly.
Blogger Albert Ojwang’ died under mysterious circumstances while in police custody, sparking national outrage and intensifying calls for police accountability.
Written By Rodney Mbua
