The petition by Meshack Ojwang presents a painful and detailed account of his struggle to seek justice for his son, Albert Omondi Ojwang. He explains that his intention is not to create tension but to ensure that the truth is heard and that accountability is upheld.
“I am the biological father of the late Albert Omondi Ojwang, the subject of this Petition,” and goes on to describe his son as “a law-abiding Kenyan citizen and a young man with a promising future whose life was brutally cut short while in the custody of the Kenya Police Service.” he stated in his affidavit.
According to Meshack, Albert’s troubles began on June 7, 2025, when officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations arrived at their rural home and arrested him.
He claims these officers were acting under the authority of Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) Eliud Lagat. The family was told that Albert had shared information that allegedly linked the DIG to corruption within the police service. Meshack says that was the last time they saw Albert alive.
He explains that information later reached him indicating that his son had been “secretly detained at Central Police Station, Nairobi, where he was subjected to torture, humiliation, and severe beatings on the instructions of DIG Eliud Lagat.”
He says the torture was so extreme that Albert “succumbed to grievous injuries inflicted on him while in police custody, including blunt force trauma to the head and strangulation.” What followed after Albert’s death only deepened the father’s pain.
The Inspector General of Police announced that Albert had taken his own life by hitting his head against a wall inside the cell.
Meshack and quite a number of Kenyans strongly disagreed with that claim and refers to a post-mortem report which, he says, “completely ruled out suicide and confirmed that his death was due to injuries consistent with torture and strangulation.”
Despite the findings and his calls for accountability, Meshack says no action was taken against DIG Lagat.
Instead, several junior officers were brought to court in Criminal Case No. E010 of 2025 at the High Court in Kibera. He calls this move “a deliberate cover-up scheme meant to shield DIG Eliud Lagat from accountability,” insisting that these officers were only carrying out orders. He adds that even Senate proceedings showed that the DCI leadership had indicated that Lagat “remained as the prime suspect,” suggesting that no genuine process had cleared him.
“As a grieving father, I am deeply troubled that the prosecution appears to shield DIG Eliud Lagat by shifting the entire blame onto the officers that were acting on his instructions and command.” he added.
He is now asking the High Court to stop the ongoing trial and to issue orders compelling the arrest and prosecution of the DIG.
“Justice for my son will not be realized unless the DIG Eliud Kipkoech Lagat is charged and prosecuted as the lead suspect in this matter.” He urges the court to act so that there is no “miscarriage of justice and denial of closure to me and my family.”
Leave feedback about this