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Murkomen Refuses to Rule Out Firing DIG Lagat After Public Pressure
Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat will not be resigning anytime soon, according to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
Speaking at a press briefing on Monday, June 16, the CS relayed that investigations by the Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) into the Albert Ojwang killing were still ongoing, and so far, no tangible reason had been unearthed justifying the resignation of the man, just a heartbeat away from leading the police force.
Lauding the DIG as a seasoned police officer, Murkomen assured that if he were to be implicated down the road, the police service would "cross the bridge" when they get there.
"On whether or not he (DIG Lagat) should resign, I would like to say that the investigation has already been ongoing with IPOA," he stated.
"DIG Lagat is a seasoned police officer who understands what it takes to carry out matters of investigations and whether or not his conduct or act, or position can affect that investigation, and I think we will cross the bridge when we reach there."
Recusing himself from making the decision for the DIG, he stated that the IPOA would ultimately decide whether the DIG's position was a hindrance to its investigations, as he was still helping with the investigation as the complainant in the case that landed Ojwang at Central Police Station, where he passed away.
For over a week now, there has been public uproar over DIG Lagat still holding office after making the complaint, with many convinced he had a part to play in the alleged killing of Ojwang in police custody.
Following Ojwang's passing, the National Police Service confirmed that the DIG had sought the help of the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) over the blogger tarnishing his name on social media.
Consequently, calls for his resignation flooded the airwaves and social media, something that his boss, Inspector General Douglas Kanja, was quick to dismiss during a parliamentary probe over the matter.
Just a few hours before Murkomen's presser, former Chief Justice David Maraga called for the arrest and prosecution of the DIG, IG Kanja and DCI boss Mohammed Amin before June 25, or protests would break out and Kenyans would demand private prosecution of the trio for lying under oath.
Although the DIG will not be resigning soon, the CS also announced an overhaul in several policies as a result of Ojwang's death, including the mandatory installation of CCTV cameras in all 1,209 police stations within the next two years, with a secure backup to aid in future investigations.
This system will also include live monitoring accessible by the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), who will be held accountable in case the surveillance system is tampered with.
He also announced the planned digitisation of the Occurrence Book reports in all police stations within the year.
