As Eliud Lagat allegedly plans to return to office next Monday, senior police bosses working at the Vigilance House police HQ are allegedly against the return and have advised against it or rather opposed it.
Speaking to the media on condition of anonymity, the officers opposed the planned return saying Lagat’s comeback will only serve to damage public trust in the National Police Service, which is already struggling to rebuild its image.
“This return won’t help. It will only make things worse,” said a senior officer, who holds the rank of Senior Assistant Inspector General of Police. “The service is trying to win back public confidence, and his return will send the wrong message; that police killings are not a big deal.”
Lagat, who is the Deputy Inspector General of Police, stepped aside weeks ago to allow investigations into the mysterious death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang. Ojwang died while in police custody shortly after being arrested over posts that allegedly defamed Lagat.
A post-mortem revealed that Ojwang died from head injuries, neck compression, and heavy bruising raising questions about torture and abuse while in custody.
Though Lagat has not been directly linked to the death, public pressure and criticism from rights groups and former officials like ex-NPSC chair Johnstone Kavuludi remain intense. Kavuludi says Lagat should resign for the sake of the service’s integrity, arguing he no longer holds moral authority.
Sources say powerful political figures have been pushing for Lagat’s return behind the scenes, but officers at Vigilance House insist it would be a step backward in efforts to clean up the police image.
By Nairobi