The Inspector General of the National Police Service (NPS), Douglas Kanja, has issued a public apology to the Nation regarding the initial suicide allegation as the cause of Albert Ojwang’s death, on behalf of the National Police Service, after IPOA ruled out suicide.
Speaking before the Senate ,Kanja faced tough questions from Legislators regarding the controversial death of teacher cum blogger Albert Ojwang’. The session aimed to shed light on the circumstances surrounding Ojwang’s arrest, detention, and subsequent demise, particularly its alleged connection to a defamation complaint lodged by the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Lagat.
” It is true that Ojwang’ did not hit his head as reported before, for that I tend my apology to the nation on behalf of the National Police Service because of that information”. Stated Kanja
In a comprehensive statement before the parliamentary committee, IG Kanja detailed the sequence of events that led to Ojwang’s death.
He provided specific examples of tweets posted by Ojwang’ on X (formerly Twitter), which the police contend are central to the tragic outcome.
“On June 4th, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) received a formal complaint from Eliud Lagat, the Deputy Inspector General of Police,” Kanja informed the Senate. “The complaint alleged that forceful and malicious information had been published against him on X.”
The IG elaborated on the nature of the defamatory content, stating, “The post claimed he was involved in corruption within the National Police Service (NPS).”
Specifically, the published information alleged that DIG Lagat had strategically placed his most trusted officers in charge of DCI desks, occurrence books, and traffic shifts to manipulate revenue streams and control intelligence flow.
Kanja further quoted another tweet that reportedly labelled Lagat as a “mafia police.” This particular accusation has ignited a heated debate within Parliament, with some legislators questioning whether such a claim genuinely warrants the severe consequences that befell Albert Ojwang’.
The IG quoted the controversial tweet, noting it “depicted him [Lagat] alongside Mr. Joseph Chirchir, a senior officer at the Nairobi area command, under the caption: ‘ESC investigating top cop after purchase of 2.6 million dollar home in Dubai.’
This was accompanied by the DIG’s photograph with the phrase ‘Mafia Police.’ These claims were found to be defamatory, which led to an investigation under the Computer Misuse and Cybercrime Act number 5 of 2018.”
According to the police chief, security services acted in response to these alleged cybercrimes, culminating in Ojwang’s arrest.
He then detailed the police’s actions following Ojwang’s death, emphasizing the steps taken to ensure accountability.
IG Kanja further accounted for the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA)’s involvement in the situation, highlighting actions initiated by his office.
These include the immediate interdiction of officers who were on duty at Central Police Station on the night of the fateful incident.
This list includes the commanding officer, the officer on duty, the cell sentry, and all officers at the report office that night.
The National Police Service is currently reviewing the situation to identify and interdict any additional officers who may have been involved.
Meanwhile, the postmortem examination on the body of the late Albert Ojwang’ was conducted at the Nairobi Funeral Home on June 10, 2025.
