Boniface Mwangi has brought to light a troubling attempt by powerful figures to protect Eliud Lagat from facing justice over the murder of Albert Ojwang.
According to the information now exposed, the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) appears to be helping to cover up the case by working to release key evidence that could incriminate Lagat.
The strongest piece of evidence linking Lagat to Ojwang’s murder is his communication with the Central Police Station OCS, Talaam. It is said that Lagat gave the order for Albert to be arrested and tortured, which eventually led to his death.
This case goes deeper than just a rogue officer acting alone. The National Intelligence Service (NIS), in collaboration with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), reportedly came up with a plan to recover Talaam’s phone from IPOA.
The phone was being held as evidence, but the goal was not to use it for justice. Instead, the plan was to hand the phone to the DCI, not for investigations, but to wipe out the evidence it held.
This phone, by all accounts, contains direct communication that links Lagat to the criminal actions that led to Ojwang’s death.To make the plan appear legal and acceptable, a false narrative was pushed. It was claimed that while in IPOA’s custody, Talaam’s phone was used to extort money.
This story is believed to have been cooked up by the NIS to influence the court into ordering that the phone be released to the DCI. Once it is in the hands of the DCI, it is feared that the evidence will be erased permanently.
This will mean Lagat walks free, and only his juniors will be left to take the blame. Such a move shields those at the top and sends a message that some people are too powerful to be held accountable.
Lagat is not just any police officer. He is said to be an important figure in William Ruto’s network of survival. That is why protecting him has become such a high priority, even if it means interfering with the justice system.
Those behind him seem to believe that letting Lagat go down would be too risky for their own hold on power. Instead of facing the truth, they are willing to manipulate state institutions to save him.
At the same time, Ruto appears to be rewarding other senior police officers involved in violent crackdowns. One such figure is Adamson Bungei, the former Nairobi Regional Police Commander.
He was reportedly giving orders during attacks on Gen Z protestors. Despite this, he has now been promoted to the position of Director of Operations at police headquarters and is said to be lined up for an even bigger role.
The current Inspector General of Police, Kanja, along with Bungei, are believed to have approved the use of police officers in plain clothes working together with hired goons. These actions have been witnessed during recent protests, and they point to an organized crackdown from the very top.
With all these developments, it is clear that justice is being pushed aside to protect certain individuals. The efforts to erase evidence from Talaam’s phone, and the possible shielding of Lagat, show how far the system is willing to go to protect its own.
The IPOA, which is supposed to ensure police accountability, now finds itself under scrutiny for playing a role in hiding the truth instead of exposing it.
