Faith Chandianya, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over three years of experience covering politics and Current Affairs in Kenya

Rarieda Member of Parliament Otiende Amollo has highlighted the shortcomings of the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) in their probe into blogger Albert Ojwang's murder.

Speaking at the National Assembly on Wednesday, June 18, the MP stated that the IPOA is relying on information from the police to get to the bottom of Ojwang's case.

He argued that no better results would be found because the National Police Service initially issued a false statement stating that Ojwang' succumbed to self-inflicted injuries.

"There are so many gaps in those responses. Number one, for starters, we have been failed by the IPOA. They cannot, as the person investigating police conduct, attend a press conference where the police are explaining their conduct. You cannot do that," Amollo said.

Amollo further stated that IPOA cannot claim that they have been prosecuting people for murder when a central suspect has not recorded a statement.

The outspoken legislator questioned how IPOA can determine the suspects to be taken to court when DIG Eliud Lagat, who had filed a complaint against Ojwang', has not been interviewed.

"IPOA has failed us, and we must call them to order," he stated.

Amollo also took the opportunity to call out Lagat for voluntarily stepping aside from office. He further argued that President William Ruto is the only one who has the power to fire or redeploy the DIG.

"There is nothing like stepping aside as the law stipulates that the president can remove, retire or redeploy the DIG. Under section 95A, the disciplinary process can only be done by a disciplinary committee of the National Police Service Commission," he noted.

He added that the DIG cannot discipline himself by claiming that he has stepped aside to give way for thorough investigations.

The politician further claimed that Ojwang' was not arrested but rather abducted. He stated that someone who is arrested is supposed to be taken to the nearest police station and not driven 600km before being detained.

"If you look back at the questions that were asked, before you were arrested, you were supposed to be told why you were being arrested. Under Article 49, this was not an arrest; this was an abduction. And to use the word 'arrest' as has been used by the Chairman is wrong," he added.

He wound up by suggesting that the National Assembly establish an ad-hoc committee to investigate Ojwang's murder.

The embattled DIG was summoned by the IPOA to give his side of the story regarding the death of Ojwang' at the Central Police Station.

The authority named him a person of interest in the murder probe, having been the one who filed the complaint that led to Ojwang's arrest.

He was mentioned several times in Ojwang's death amid calls for him to resign from office.

Source: TUKO.co.ke