Kai Eli, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings more than three years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

Beleaguered deputy inspector general of police Eliud Lagat finally appeared before the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to give his side of the story regarding blogger Albert Ojwang's murder in police custody.

Lagat appeared before the authority on Thursday, June 19, to give his account of the events leading up to Ojwang's death.

The session was, however, undertaken off-camera, leaving the DIG's account a mystery.

Lagat was adversely mentioned as the big cheese in the murder of Ojwang, having been the complainant behind the ill-fated arrest of the blogger that ended in his painful death.

On June 4, the DIG, who stepped aside due to the matter on June 16, lodged a complaint against Ojwang with the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).

The blogger had allegedly posted defamatory content against Lagat on X.

The matter was taken over by the DCI's serious crimes unit, which deployed five of its officers to arrest Ojwang at his native home in Lida Centre, Homa Bay county.

The officers drove to Ojwang's home on June 7 and arrested him in front of his immediate family, his father and wife included.

He was booked at the nearby Mawego Police Station before leaving for Nairobi the same day.

The officers arrived with Ojwang in the capital moments past 9 pm and booked him at the Central Police Station.

Ojwang was confined in a cell alone, where he met his death hours later.

It would then emerge that he was assaulted inside the cell, leading to his death.

In an apparent attempt to cover up the murder, the police released an official statement in which they claimed the 31-year-old had hit his head on the wall of the cell to sustain the fatal injuries.

The autopsy on June 10 confirmed that Ojwang was assaulted, evidenced by the visible bruises on the head, bruises all over the body, compression marks on the neck and residues of blood in the ears and face.

The murder sparked nationwide rage, with pressure mounting on Lagat to quit and face justice.

At least 20 police officers have been grilled over Ojwang's murder.

Central Police OCS Samson Talaam is among the officers in custody in connection with the blogger's murder.

Police Constable James Mukhwana is another one in custody.

Mukhwana was the sentry manning the cells when Ojwang was booked.

In his explosive dossier to IPOA, Mukhwana revealed the order to assault Ojwang emanated from the DIG and was actualised by OCS Talaam through the junior officers at Central.

He revealed that four remandees were contracted to beat the blogger up as "punishment" for allegedly tarnishing Lagat's profile on the internet.

Source: TUKO.co.ke