Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has disclosed the social media post attributed to the late Albert Ojwang that prompted security officers to pursue him.
Appearing before the Senate on Tuesday, Kanja said the post, shared on social media, made allegations touching on Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat and claimed irregularities within the police service.
“Specifically, the post claimed that Mr Eliud Lagat had positioned trusted officers at critical points such as DCI desks, Occurrence Books (OBs), and traffic shifts,” Kanja said.
He cited another post that referenced Lagat and Nairobi Area Commander Joseph Chirchir, with a caption alluding to an investigation related to a high-value property.
Kanja noted that the post included a photograph of Lagat accompanied by terms he described as offensive.
He said the claims raised public concern and were subject to investigation under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act of 2018.
Following the post, Kanja added, Deputy IG Lagat filed a formal complaint, prompting the Directorate of Criminal Investigations to assign the matter to a cybercrime officer.
The post in question was published through an X account with 13,400 followers.
Ojwang died while in custody at the Central Police Station in Nairobi, a case that has drawn public interest and growing calls for accountability.
An autopsy revealed that he died from head injuries, neck compression, and multiple soft tissue trauma, an autopsy revealed.
Pathologists ruled out the narrative that self-inflicted injuries caused the death.
He was hit in the head and strangled.
Further, he had multiple injuries on his hands.
Ojwang, who died in custody at the Central Police Station, was assaulted and suffered multiple body injuries, a team of pathologists led by government pathologist Bernard Midia concluded.
“He had head and neck injuries. There were other multiple injuries consistent with assault,” he said.
He made the remarks after completing an autopsy on Ojwang’s body on Tuesday.
He insisted Ojwang did not hit himself on the wall as earlier reported in a police report.
“When we examined … the pattern of the injury, especially on the trauma I found on the head…. Hitting against a blunt substance like a wall would have a pattern,” he said.
by FELIX KIPKEMOI
