Homa Bay Member of Parliament (MP) Peter Kaluma has come to the defense of Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Lagat, calling for a fair and evidence-based investigation before any decision is made regarding his position.

Speaking on Wednesday, July 23 night on TV47, Kaluma expressed concerns over what he termed as premature judgment without due process.

“We cannot run this country the way Jesus was tried,” he stated. “If there is evidence that DIG Lagat did anything beyond lodging the complaint he lodged, I will be the last person to let him go. However, if he did nothing beyond complaining, it would be very unfair to say he cannot resume office without investigations being conducted in the room.”

The Orange Democratic Movement (ODM) legilsator questioned whether the ongoing probe had yielded any concrete findings, suggesting that facts must back any action against Lagat. “Is the investigation complete or is there some evidence upon which we can proceed to arrest and prosecute him?” He posed.

Addressing the broader context of recent protests and law enforcement responses, the MP urged religious leaders to act responsibly, especially on matters of youth’s conduct. “Let’s not have a situation where a bishop prays for our young people to go to State House ‘God protect them, they go and come back alive’. How are we guiding our young people? Let us tell our young people that the nation called Kenya needs to be stable,” he said.

Nonetheless, Kaluma did not spare rogue officers as he firmed that police who misuse force should face the full consequences. “If any police officer uses ammunition under circumstances not permitted by the law, that police officer has to be executed,” he stated, emphasizing that both citizens and officers must remain within the bounds of the law.

His sentiments come amid controversies of whether DIG Eliud Lagat stepped aside on June 16, 2025, to pave way for investigations of the death of teacher Albert Ojwang, or whether he was on his annual leave.