Former Chief Justice David Maraga has issued a scathing rebuke of the government, demanding that President William Ruto take personal responsibility and immediate action following the brutal murder of teacher Albert Ojwang while in police custody.
Speaking outside police headquarters in Nairobi while presenting a petition, Maraga said the president must act decisively as the head of state, emphasizing that “the buck stops with him.”
“There is prima facie evidence that Mr. Eliud Lagat—directly or indirectly, by himself or through his accomplices—is implicated in the illegal arrest, torture, strangulation, and eventual murder of the late Albert Ojwang. Yet Mr. Lagat still remains in office,” Maraga said.
He called for the immediate arrest and prosecution of Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, citing his alleged role in Ojwang’s abduction and death. Maraga also questioned why no senior security officials had stepped aside since the incident.
Ojwang was allegedly tortured and killed after being arrested over a social media post. His body was discovered in a Nairobi police cell under suspicious circumstances, prompting public outrage and a probe by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
Maraga, who chaired the Police Reforms Taskforce, accused the government of turning a blind eye to continued cases of police brutality and extrajudicial killings.
“President Ruto and the security sector leadership have failed to take any action to bring to book all those officers involved in the abduction, torture, and killings of so many young Kenyans—particularly in 2024 and 2025. This shows the level of callousness and disregard the leadership has for the suffering of Kenyans,” he added.
He warned that if no meaningful action is taken by June 25, including the removal of Lagat and DCI boss Mohamed Amin from office, he and others will mobilize and take to the streets to demand justice.
Maraga also criticized the National Police Service for ignoring human rights principles that were part of the reform agenda he once spearheaded.
“It’s painful to see how quickly the reform gains have been eroded. The culture of impunity has returned stronger,” he said.