Mr Lagat, who has been under immense public pressure to resign over the death of the teacher in a cell at Central Police Station in Nairobi, yesterday announced that he was stepping aside to allow investigations.
His move came as it emerged that Ojwang’s killers were paid Sh2,000 and bought alcohol to “teach him a lesson” for allegedly defaming the police boss.
Teacher Albert Ojwang who mysteriously died in a police cell.
Photo credit: Pool | Nation
Mr Lagat has been on the spot since it emerged that he was the complainant in the case that led to the arrest of the social media influencer in Homa Bay, before he was transferred to Nairobi, where he met his death.
In a press statement, Mr Lagat announced that he had voluntarily decided to step aside to pave the way for the ongoing investigations by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (Ipoa).
“In the good and conscious thought of my role and responsibilities as the Deputy Inspector-General of Kenya Police Service, and in view of the ongoing investigations on the unfortunate incident of the death of Albert Ojwang, I have opted to step aside from the office of the Deputy Inspector General–Kenya Police Service pending completion of the investigations,” he said.
“I undertake to provide any support that may be required of me during the investigations of the unfortunate incident,” he added.
The decision to step down came only hours after Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen told a media briefing at Harambee House that the DIG was unlikely to leave office immediately despite the mounting public pressure.
Lagat exits office temporarily to allow investigations into death of Albert Ojwang'
“He (DIG) is a seasoned police officer who understands what it takes to carry out investigations and whether or not his conduct can affect those investigations. But we will cross that bridge when we get there. Let’s leave Ipoa to do its part,” he said.
Highly placed sources familiar with the events told the Nation that the decision by the DIG was reached yesterday afternoon, soon after Mr Murkomen’s media briefing.
After consultations with Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja and the CS, Mr Lagat was impressed upon to temporarily leave office, the source said.
Earlier in the day, Mr Lagat had met Mr Kanja at the National Police Service (NPS) headquarters at Jogoo House, where the issue of his resignation was discussed. The last time that the DIG was seen on official duty was last Friday, when he chaired a meeting of senior police officers at Vigilance House in the capital.
Last evening, Mr Lagat handed over his office to his principal deputy, Patrick Tito, who will run the office as the DIG battles allegations that he was involved in Ojwang’s death.
Calls for Mr Lagat’s resignation by the civil society, the opposition, religious leaders, youth and other parties have been growing louder by the day.
The Deputy Inspector-General of the National Police Service Eliud Lagat at the Bunge Towers, Nairobi on November 7, 2024.
Photo credit: Dennis Onsongo | Nation Media Group
Last Thursday, Mr Lagat and his alleged involvement in the killing were discussed at the National Security Council meeting. According to sources, the top government officials who attended the meeting resolved that Mr Lagat would remain in office until there are grounds for him to step aside.
The deputy IG has now been linked to the killing of Ojwang after his booking at the Central Police Station.
Police Constable James Mukhwana, the first officer arrested in connection with the case, in a fresh statement he recorded with Ipoa, said Ojwang’s killers were paid and bought alcohol to “teach him a lesson”.
Mr Talaam, in turn, sought an officer he deemed “suitable” to carry out the grim task, eventually settling on Mr Mukhwana.
Before assigning him the job, Mr Talaam allegedly asked how long the constable had worked at the station. When Mukhwana replied “two years,” the OCS gave him explicit instructions.
Mukhwana spills the beans on Ojwang's murder at Nairobi Central Police Station
Mr Talaam, according to the statement, said: “There is a directive from DIG Mr Lagat. Do you know him?”
“I replied yes,” Mr Mukhwana told Ipoa.
Then his boss said: “Some officers from DCI [Directorate of Criminal Investigations] headquarters will bring someone around 8pm. I want you to go to the cells and identify some remandees. Tell them there’s a job—they need to deal with the incoming suspect.”
James Mukhwana, the main suspect in the murder of Albert Ojwang, arraigned at Milimani Law Court on June 13, 2025.
Photo credit: File | Nation
Mr Mukhwana continued: “He handed me Sh2,000 and said, ‘Use this to talk to the remandees. Someone is being brought in. I want them to handle him a bit. It’s an order from above.”
According to Mr Mukhwana, Mr Talaam seemed well-versed in this kind of operation. He allegedly told the officer that similar directives had been executed during his previous posting at Lang’ata Police Station, where Mr Talaam is currently detained.
Mr Mukhwana said he admitted to his boss that he had never witnessed such actions at Nairobi Central and raised concerns.
Talaam reportedly replied: “You can’t disobey orders from a senior. Do you think I’m stupid? I accepted it. If you refuse, something could happen to you—you’re just a junior officer.”
Mr Mukhwana told Ipoa that he eventually gave in, and when he tried to inform Mr Talaam that his shift was ending and he was to be replaced by Officer Peter Kimani, the OCS allegedly ordered him to remain at the report office.
Following the instructions, the officer said he picked a remandee who then assembled others to carry out the fatal assault on Ojwang—an act that has now sparked widespread public outrage and a formal investigation.
“Ojwang was not meant to be killed but to be disciplined as per the instruction of OCS Talaam, who was also under the instruction of DIG Mr Lagat as per the instructions he gave me,” Mr Mukhwana said in his statement. “I am sorry for the death of Ojwang. May God help them (the family) to heal from the loss. I know it is painful.”
Ojwang death: Kanja confirms DIG Lagat was complainant
It is from this admission that the Nation has also learnt that a section of police officers who had been summoned by Ipoa had planned to cover up the truth about the matter. The plan, however, crumbled when Mr Mukhwana realised that his colleagues had thrown him under the bus.
When he learnt that he was in the soup, Mr Mukhwana, on June 12, decided to head back to Ipoa offices and rectify the lies that he had initially recorded with investigators.
“When I was informed about the summons by Ipoa, I went to their offices and recorded a statement but I did not disclose what happened,” he said. “I thought we were to cover up for each other but later I discovered my colleagues had heaped all the blame on me. That was on June 11, 2025.”
The police constable, who joined the NPS in 2018, said that he was not at peace with himself as the thoughts of penning a lie at Ipoa offices were haunting him.
When he was overwhelmed by guilt, he said, he made the decision to return to the authority and speak the truth.
The suspect was first taken to court on June 13 on a miscellaneous application, and it was ordered that he be remanded up to June 20.
