Amnesty International Executive Director Irungu Houghton has urged Police Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat to step aside out of a moral duty, insisting that his continued staying put only hurts the reputation of the police service he serves.
Speaking during a live TV interview on Monday, June 16, 2025, the rights body official says the official should go beyond his personal ego to safeguard the reputation of the service.
“He is stepping down not because he is guilty but because he respects the reputation of national service. For many Kenyans, he is a person of interest until courts prove otherwise. For him to continue, he would jeopardise the reputation of the service,” he said.
Irungu has further stated that Lagat bears a moral responsibility to the Kenyan constitution and should vacate his position.
“I strongly urge you to step down, not because of guilt but because in moments like these, one steps down to allow the process to be impartially investigated and concluded,” Irungu said in a direct address to the official.
“It’s not about his personal liability, but what you do about chapter 6 of the constitution when your reputation is smeared. It was patently wrong for him to even talk about this case together with the IG, It really hurt the police image,” he stated.
Irungu’s comments come after religious leaders also upped the ante for Lagat to step down.
In a statement on Sunday, June 15, 2025, the clerics led by Stephen Mutua, Vice Chair of the Kenya Coalition of Church Alliances and Ministries (KCCM), expressed the church’s outrage over the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s death, calling for all those involved to step aside until investigations are concluded.
“Anybody and everybody who is involved should step down. If they are later found not guilty, no problem—they will be reinstated to their places of work. We want to see what the reason was, why did Albert Ojwang die? Who was responsible?” Mutua posed.
“We are deeply troubled by this incident, which raises serious questions about the moral integrity of some of our police officers and the broader issue of accountability within the National Police Service,” he said.
The clergy further urged President William Ruto to lead by example by instituting visible reforms within the security services in accordance with the constitution and to reaffirm that police exist to protect, not persecute, the people of Kenya.
“We urge you to lead from the front in reaffirming that the role of our security agencies is to protect the people of Kenya, not to intimidate or abduct them. The tragic death of the blogger, alongside other reported cases of excessive force, has deeply eroded the public trust,” Mutua said.
