A UK-based lobby group, Justice and Equity Council (UK chapter), has called for the suspension of Inspector General Douglas Kanja, DCI Director Mohamed Amin, and Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat over the death of activist and teacher Albert Ojwang.
The group cited Ojwang’s case as part of what it described as a pattern of unresolved incidents involving alleged disappearances and abductions of Kenyan citizens.
In a statement addressed to the National Police Service Commission (NPSC), the lobby expressed concern over what it termed as a failure by the police leadership to guarantee public safety.
"Noting that the National Police Service under your supervision and the command of the Inspector General of Police and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations has failed to guarantee the safety of Kenya and its disparate citizens, we have been left with no alternative but to be unequivocal in solemnly and urgently calling on your good office to, with immediate effect, suspend from office the following officers of the National Police Service: the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat and Directorate of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin,” read the statement from the lobby group.
The group also criticised the NPSC for what it termed as inaction on previous cases involving law enforcement officers.
“The list of Kenyans who have similarly been forced to disappear or been abducted is growing, and we are baffled by the continued silence of your commission, which is responsible for the safety and well-being of Kenyans,” said the lobby, through its chairman Sebastian Onyango.
The group further urged the Commission to begin the process of identifying and appointing new officials to the offices of Inspector General and DCI, pending the outcome of investigations into Ojwang’s death.
Ojwang died under controversial circumstances while in police custody.
His death sparked widespread protests, especially in Nairobi, with demonstrators demanding answers.
The incident has raised questions about the circumstances surrounding his detention and subsequent death.
In a separate statement, another lobby group, Wazalendo Movement Africa, came to the defence of Deputy Inspector General Lagat, amid mounting public pressure following Ojwang’s death at Central Police Station.
The group urged Kenyans to remain calm as investigations proceed and commended Lagat for his role in initiating a formal complaint, terming it a show of confidence in legal and institutional processes.
“We call upon all Kenyans, especially our youth and activists, to remain calm and refrain from acts of violence or anarchy. Destruction only deepens societal wounds and threatens the peace we all seek,” said Oponyo Eugene, the group’s founder and CEO.
“Lagat has exhibited exemplary leadership and dedication. Let the due process go to the end, uninterrupted, so that truth may emerge. What we need is justice, not resignations driven by political noise,” he added.
