NAIROBI — Kenya’s top police chief has confirmed that the complaint leading to the arrest of Albert Ojwang’, a blogger who later died in police custody, came directly from within the police force.
Inspector General Douglas Kanja said on Monday that Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Kipkoech Lagat filed a formal defamation complaint against Ojwang’ shortly before the 38-year-old’s arrest over the weekend.
“There was a complaint launched by the DIG, KPS, about his name being tarnished,” said IG Kanja while addressing journalists in Nairobi. “It is on that basis that investigations were being carried out. He also has a right to be protected by the same law.”
Ojwang’ was arrested on Saturday at his home in Homa Bay County. He was taken to Nairobi and held at the Central Police Station. By Sunday morning, he was dead.
Police said he had been found unconscious in his cell with severe head injuries. A report claimed he had “hit his head several times against the wall.”
He was taken to Mbagathi Hospital but was declared dead on arrival.
The circumstances of Ojwang’s death have sparked widespread public outrage and demands for accountability. His family and human rights groups are now demanding full transparency and an independent inquiry into what happened behind the locked doors of the police cell.
The Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), a civilian body that monitors police conduct, confirmed it has opened an investigation.
“I watched mzee Ojwang’ on TV crying,” said IPOA Chairperson Isaac Hassan, referring to Albert’s grieving father, Meshack Opiyo. “Any parent would feel that pain. I want to assure him and the public that IPOA will do everything possible to ensure justice is served.”
Hassan confirmed that IPOA officials had visited the scene and begun gathering evidence. Officers who were on duty at the time of Ojwang’s detention have been interdicted and will face questioning.
Ojwang’s arrest followed his online posts, one of which claimed DIG Lagat was running the Kamukunji and Central police stations “without the knowledge” of the Inspector General. In the same post, he alleged that these stations had become “new torture chambers.”
Critics have pointed to this as evidence that the arrest was politically charged.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua joined the chorus of critics, calling for Lagat’s immediate suspension pending investigations.
“He must take full responsibility,” Gachagua said during a press briefing. “This young man was taken from his home over a social media post and ended up dead within hours.”
The Kenya Human Rights Commission has also weighed in, saying the death fits a “disturbing pattern” of custodial deaths and intimidation of government critics.
Meanwhile, IG Kanja insisted the matter would be handled with transparency and that no officer is above the law. “The investigation is ongoing,” he said, “and a full report will be made public.”
As the probe unfolds, Ojwang’s death continues to send shockwaves across the country, raising difficult questions about the limits of free speech, the role of police power, and the safety of those who speak truth to power.
