Kenya’s deputy police chief steps aside as blogger’s death investigated
Associated PressJUN 20
Kenya: Deputy Police Chief Steps Aside Pending Probe Into Death of Government Critic
Above: Protest in Nairobi demanding the resignation of Deputy Inspector-General Eliud Lagat on June 12, 2025. Image copyright: Edwin Nyamasyo/Anadolu/Getty Images
The Spin
Pro-government narrative
Lagat has stepped aside to show his commitment to the rule of law and try to appease politically motivated calls for him to resign. There's nothing linking him to what happened to Ojwang, except for his lawful exercise of a constitutional right to file a defamation complaint against the individual who died while in police custody.
Government-critical narrative
Stepping aside is a hollow theatrical gesture designed to calm public anger without real accountability. Lagat will continue in the shadows of power while under suspicion for a heinous crime, in a mockery of justice and the Constitution, unless he resigns outright.