Nairobi Woman Representative Esther Passaris has defended Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Eliud Lagat amid public outrage over the death of influencer Albert Ojwang in police custody.
In a statement posted on June 10, 2025, Passaris said Lagat was visibly shocked when the news broke while attending a Kenya Alliance of Residents Association meeting, insisting he had no prior knowledge of the incident.
She urged for impartial investigations and warned against scapegoating innocent people. Her remarks followed political analyst Mutahi Ngunyi’s caution that misdirected public pressure on Lagat could help shield the real culprits.
Ojwang, arrested for allegedly insulting a senior official online, died after being moved from Homa Bay to Nairobi. Police claimed he inflicted injuries on himself, but his family disputed this.
A postmortem revealed signs of physical assault including head injuries, neck compression, and defensive wounds. Ojwang’s father, Meshack Opiyo, said his son was healthy and demanded justice. The ODPP has given IPOA seven days to complete the investigation.
By Kenyans