A group of human rights activists has filed a petition at the High Court to try to stop the case against three cops and three other people charged with the murder of Albert Ojwang’. They want to stop this until Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat, is also brought to face the law.
Led by lawyer Lempaa Suyinka and activist Prof. Fredrick Ongola, the group says it’s not fair and right to leave DIG Lagat out. They say this is not just, makes people doubt justice, and also highlights selective prosecution..
In their petition, the group names the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), the National Police Service (NPS), DIG Lagat, and President William Ruto as respondents. The activists accuse these institutions and individuals of working in concert to shield Lagat from criminal accountability in Ojwang’s murder.
They want the High Court to step in to stop what they say is an ongoing miscarriage of justice, accusing the State of protecting the main suspect while targeting junior players in the case.
They pointed out problems in how IPOA and DPP handled things, which failed the people of Kenya’s hope for fair justice for Ojwang, they say.
Besides DPP and IPOA, they have also named other big names in government in their fight, like the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Ibrahim Amin, and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen..
Also in the list are former Nairobi Central Police Commander (OCS) Samson Talaam, police constables James Mukhwana and Peter Kimani, and three other people (John Ngige Kitau, Gin Ammitou Abwao, and Brian Mwaniki Njue).
They are asking the High Court for a quick ‘stop’ on the case against those charged in a local court. They want things to wait until the court hears their fight to have Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat charged as the primary suspect in the teacher’s death.
Rights Groups Want DIG Lagat Barred from Office
They are also seeking a court order to bar Lagat from resuming his duties while the petition remains pending, arguing that his continued presence in office compromises the integrity of the case.
Additionally, the rights activists want the court to examine events surrounding Ojwang’s death, including a prior complaint allegedly filed by Lagat, and what the activists describe as an attempted cover-up of the murder.
“In the aftermath of the horrendous murder of Albert Ojwang, the leadership of the NPS issued a statement alleging that he had committed suicide by knocking his head on the wall where he was being detained at the police station,” said Mungai, one of the petitioners, in court.
“The purported suicide theory was later discredited by a postmortem report that ruled out suicide as the possible cause of death.”
The petitioners also criticized President William Ruto for failing to interdict DIG Lagat during the murder investigation.They argue that this departure from standard procedure and legal norms further undermines the pursuit of justice.
They insist that without including Lagat in the prosecution, the case remains incomplete and justice for Albert Ojwang will not be served.
