This man Eliud Lagat

A lot has been said about Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat following the death of blogger Albert Ojwang in police cells.

According to Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Lagat is the complainant behind the late Ojwang.

IG Kanja revealed that DIG Lagat filed a complaint of defamation against Ojwang, prompting an expeditious probe.

"There was a complaint that had been launched by the DIG KPS about his name being tarnished. It is on that basis that investigations were actually being carried out because he also has a right to be protected by the same law," he said.

But who is this man Lagat?

Eliud Kipkoech Lagat is a seasoned career police officer in Kenya who has served the Kenya Police for over 25 years.

Since he left Kenya Police College in Kiganjo, he has has served in various roles including high-ranking roles.

Lagat was appointed in 2024 as the Deputy Inspector General of Police, with the main responsibilities being to oversee police operations and reforms.

Before then, he had served as the Commandant of the General Service Unit (GSU) from April 2023, succeeding Douglas Kanja.

Prior, he had held positions such as Senior Position in the Police Force, including being the Deputy Head of Crime News Support Unit, Head of Investigation Bureau, and Head of the Bomb and Hazardous Materials Unit.

Lagat is an explosives and post-blast expert, and previously at one point he led the forensic Bomb Disposal Unit and the Directorate of Reforms at the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) headquarters.

Lagat holds a Master’s Degree in Armed Conflict and Peace Studies from the University of Nairobi, and a Bachelor of Technology in Automotive from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton.

He has also completed specialised training at the National Defence College, earning the prestigious “ndc” (K) designation.

Ojwang' was reportedly found unconscious inside his cell at Central Police Station and was rushed to Mbagathi Hospital, where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

A police report claimed that he was found with head injuries “by hitting his head severally against the wall inside the cell.”

But according to a postmortem carried out on Tuesday, Ojwang was assaulted and suffered multiple body injuries.

Government pathologist Bernard Midia, after completing an autopsy on his body, revealed on Tuesday that Ojwang did not hit himself on the wall as earlier reported in a police report.

“When we examined the pattern of the injury, especially on the trauma, I found on the head…. Hitting against a blunt substance like a wall would have a pattern,” said Media.

Ojwang had been arrested at his home in Homa Bay County on Saturday afternoon and transferred to Nairobi, where he met his death on Sunday.

IG Kanja added that officers are currently conducting a probe and a detailed report on the mysterious death.

Likewise, Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) Chairperson Isaac Hassan stated that a probe is underway, and investigative teams have already visited the crime scene.

Highlighting how distressing the emotional narration of Meshack Opiyo, Ojwang's father, was, Hassan has vowed to ensure that justice will be served to the deceased's family.

Officers on duty during Ojwang's time of booking have been interdicted and will be interrogated to shed light on the incident.