The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has confirmed the release of a Kisii blogger, Kelvin Moinde, who was arrested last weekend on false publication charges.
Moinde was allegedly apprehended in Kisii on Saturday, June 7, and transported to Nairobi, where he was detained at the Kamukunji Police Station.
Moinde was allegedly arrested by officers from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) for his social media posts that are said to paint the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud Lagat, in a bad light.
In a statement on its official X account on Monday, the ODPP stated that the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Renson Igonga did not find sufficient evidence to charge Moinde.
"The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) acknowledges receipt of the inquiry investigation file on Mr KELVIN MOINDE," ODPP stated.
"Upon careful perusal of the inquiry file, the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is satisfied that there is NO sufficient evidence to charge Mr Kelvin Moinde," he added.
Moinde was arrested the same day as the late Albert Ojwang, who was arrested on Saturday in Homa Bay and later transported to the Central Police Station. Police claim that Ojwang hit his head on the wall, causing injuries that led to his succumbing while in police custody at the police station.
The death of Ojwang, a well-known social media personality, has caused widespread public concern, with Ojwang's family and Kenyans continuing to call for justice and clarity over what happened that night.
According to the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, in a statement on Monday, Ojwang was under investigation for also allegedly defaming Lagat through social media. According to Kanja, the DIG had lodged a formal complaint against Ojwang, prompting his arrest and subsequent questioning.
The IG said Ojwang was not mistreated while in police custody, insisting that just like any other Kenyan, his deputy had a right to complain.
"There was a complaint that had been logged by the DIG KPS (Eliud Lagat) that his name was being tarnished, and that is why Albert Ojwang was arrested," Kanja said.
The IG's statement came hours after the Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua called for the suspension of Lagat, claiming that he was "personally" operating the Kamukunji Police Station and the Central Police Station, Nairobi, without the knowledge of Kanja.
According to the former DP, the suspension of the Deputy IG will be pivotal in making way for meaningful investigations into what exactly led to the death of Ojwang.
"People are complaining that those two stations have become the new torture chambers. That is the reason Albert had to be moved from Homa Bay to Central Police Station in Nairobi," Gachagua alleged.
