Lobby group calls for sacking of IG over blogger's death in custody

Police IG Doughlas Kanja. [File, Standard]

A lobby group has accused top police officers of covering up the killing of blogger Albert Ojwang inside a police cell, demanding their immediate removal from office.

The Justice and Equity Council, a UK-based organisation, in a statement on Sunday, June 15, said Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja lied by claiming Ojwang took his own life.

 The group said evidence pointed to foul play and accused police of tampering with the scene.

“The IG of police has blatantly lied that Albert Ojwang committed suicide and now offers a lame excuse after evidence has emerged to the contrary,” said Sebastian Onyango, the group’s chairperson.

The move comes days after Kanja appeared before the Senate and apologised for misleading the public.

“I tender my apology on behalf of the National Police Service because of that information,” Kanja told the Senate, drawing applause from lawmakers.

Kanja had earlier claimed Ojwang, a social media influencer, hit his head against a police cell wall.

However, an autopsy conducted on Tuesday at City Mortuary by five pathologists ruled out suicide. It found that Ojwang died from head injuries, neck compression and widespread soft tissue injuries.

“There were serious injuries to the head. There were also features of neck compression and multiple soft tissue injuries that were spread all over the body,” explained Dr Bernard Midia, the lead government pathologist.

Kanja told senators the initial claim was based on a report from his officers, which he later corrected after learning the facts.

Senators pressed the police chief to take responsibility after the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) ruled out suicide and called for accountability over possible tampering with CCTV footage and the circumstances of Ojwang’s transfer from Homa Bay to Nairobi.

“IPOA is investigating the entire scene of the crime and will tell us what happened with the CCTV footage,” Kanja observed.

Ojwang was arrested at his home in Homa Bay on Saturday, June 8, allegedly over a social media post described by authorities as derogatory.

He was transferred to Nairobi and booked at Central Police Station, where he died the next day.

The lobby group said Ojwang’s case is part of a growing pattern of forced disappearances, abductions and killings.

It also named Gideon Kibet, Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti and Benard Kavuli as victims of similar abuse.

They called on the National Police Service Commission (NPSC) to suspend Kanja, Deputy Inspector General Lagat and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin, accusing them of failing to uphold the Constitution and their oath of office.

“We demand that the top leadership of the police service be sent on compulsory leave or suspended and investigated over the failings and killings,” said Janet Sutton, the council’s secretary.

The statement criticised the commission’s silence, warned that Kenya was sliding into a police state and urged Parliament to establish a select committee to investigate the police chain of command.

“We can now state that under your watch, Kenya has been turned into a police state where the lives of Kenyans do not matter anymore,” noted Onyango.

The group said it no longer had faith in the interior ministry or the presidency and called on Kenyans to prepare for “the mother of all battles” to reclaim their safety and sovereignty.