Fresh details are shedding light on what may have triggered the chain of events that led to the brutal death of blogger and teacher, Albert Ojwang’ — and at the center of the story is a fake newspaper headline and the country’s Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG), Eliud Lagat.

According to the Standard Group, officers from the General Service Unit (GSU) visited their headquarters on Mombasa Road on April 22, 2025, after a fabricated front-page headline began circulating online. The headline, falsely attributed to The Standard, was titled “The Richest Cop” and featured an image of DIG Lagat.

Surveillance footage from the media house captured a white Probox vehicle, registration number KDD 055Z, driving into the premises.

Three individuals got out and identified themselves as GSU officers.

The Standard reports that the men questioned newsroom staff about the fake publication, which had never been printed or published by the company.

The incident raised alarms within the newsroom, particularly after a follow-up investigation using the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) database revealed that the number plate on the Probox was fake.

It was officially registered to a black Subaru Forester — not the white Probox seen on CCTV.

Tensions within the police service escalated days later when a second fabricated cover emerged online, this time titled “The Mafia Cop.”

The fake front page, again falsely branded with the Standard Group’s masthead, alleged that Lagat had built a shadow network within the police force, strategically positioning loyal officers to control internal revenue streams and intelligence operations.

The bogus article further claimed that Lagat was under active investigation by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) for the acquisition of foreign assets, including a Ksh335.9 million property in Dubai.

The fallout was swift.

Following the circulation of the second headline, DIG Lagat filed a formal complaint with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), naming Albert Ojwang’ as the individual behind the false publications.

On June 7, 2025, Ojwang’ was arrested by DCI officers at his family home in Kakot, Homa Bay County, at approximately 3:30 p.m.

He was initially held at Mawego Police Station, then transferred to Nairobi’s Central Police Station. He died shortly after while in police custody under unclear circumstances.

Speaking about Ojwang’s death on Monday, June 9, 2025, Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja revealed that the blogger’s arrest, along with others, was triggered by a formal complaint from Lagat, who claimed that his reputation was being tarnished by Ojwang’s social media posts.

“The reason why the late Ojwang was arrested together with others is because a complaint had been lodged by the DIG KPS about his name being tarnished,” Kanja stated.

Ojwang’s death has since ignited national outrage and drawn criticism from human rights organizations, opposition leaders, and members of the public who view the incident as yet another instance of abuse of power within Kenya’s security agencies.

Although the Directorate of Criminal Investigations initially claimed that Ojwang’ had been handed over to Central Police in stable condition, statements filed by officers at the station suggest otherwise. They revealed he was already in critical condition when he arrived — barely alive, if not already dead.

Opposition leaders have demanded the immediate arrest and prosecution of DIG Lagat, calling into question the role of a top police official in what appears to be a retaliatory operation masked as a legitimate investigation.

“The postmortem of Albert is clear, and all Kenyans have formed the opinion that he was murdered,” Democratic Party leader Justin Muturi said in a press conference.

“In light of the foregoing, we are calling not just for the resignation but for the arrest and arraignment in court of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police Eliud Lagat.”

Ojwang’s family, along with civil society groups, continue to press for transparency and accountability. As the investigation into his death unfolds, the role played by fabricated headlines — and the reaction of a powerful police figure — is now under intense scrutiny.

For many, Ojwang’s death is no longer just about a single tragedy. It’s a reflection of what can happen when state power is misused, and the price paid by those who speak out.

Related: Full List of 8 Rogue Cops Sent by DIG Eliud Lagat to Arrest and Torture Albert Ojwang’