Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Kipkoech Lagat has been thrown into the limelight following the murder of one Albert Ojwang, while in police custody.
Ojwang’s crime was to publish information on social media that allegedly defamed Lagat, according to police bosses.
“The post claimed that he was involved in corruption within the NPS. Specifically, the published information alleged that Lagat has strategically placed his most trusted officers in charge of the DCI books desk and traffic shifts in order to control both revenue streams and intelligence flow,” Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja told senators on Wednesday June 11, 2025.
Kenyans an activists, both online and on ground, are demanding for justice over Ojwang’s death, as they pile pressure on Lagat to resign from the office, that he has held for about a year now.
Lagat has served in the police service for over 25 years. He served as the commandant of the General Service Unit(in 2023), before assuming his current role in 2024 after Kanja was elevated to IG.
In the past, he served in various capacities including; Deputy Head of Crime News Support Unit; head of investigation bureau and later as Head of the Bomb and Hazardous Materials Unit. He has also served as the Director of Reforms at DCI.
He was among the 10 candidates that were shortlisted to fill DCI boss position following the resignation of George Kinoti in September 2022.
Lagat holds a Master’s Degree in Armed Conflict and Peace Studies from the University of Nairobi and a Bachelor of Technology in Automotive from the University of Eastern Africa, Baraton.
Additionally, he has several awards under his name. They include the Elder of the Burning Spear (EBS), the Order of the Grand Warrior (OGW) of Kenya, Head of State Commendation (HSC), the Silver Star (SS) of Kenya and the coveted “ndc” (K) from the National Defence College.
He reportedly takes home a salary of slightly over 600,000 plus other benefits.
It is now a matter of time before the fate of Lagat is known. An ongoing probe is expected to reveal whether he is involved in Ojwang’s murder or not.
