Amos Khaemba, a journalist at TUKO.co.ke, brings over four years of experience covering politics and current affairs in Kenya.

- Former deputy president Rigathi Gachagua has condemned the mysterious death of blogger Albert Omondi Ojwang.

In a statement on Monday, June 9, Gachagua claimed Ojwang was murdered at the hands of police officers.

"Albert Ojwang's brutal murder at the hands of the police officers has revived the painful wounds of the tens of Gen Zs who continue to be killed by security agencies under the Ruto administration. In the strongest terms possible, I condemn this cowardly act by the killers and call for speedy investigations. Culprits must be brought to book," Gachagua said.

Gachagua linked Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat to Ojwang's mysterious death.

The former deputy president demanded that Lagat take responsibility for Ojwang's death, arguing that he was the complainant in the matter in which the blogger was arrested.

"The Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat is the complainant, and the one who ordered the arrest in the alleged 'crime' that Ojwang committed was making a fair comment on his social media account on Eliud Lagat. He must take full responsibility for this murder," the former DP alleged.

The former Mathira lawmaker demanded Lagat's immediate suspension, arguing that the disciplinary action taken against other officers was only meant to hoodwink Kenyans.

Gachagua further accused the deputy IG of running torture chambers at Kamukunji and Central Police Stations.

"Suspending junior officers at Central Police Station is hoodwinking Kenyans. For any meaningful investigations to be done, Eliud Lagat must be suspended immediately. DIG Eliud Lagat is personally operating Kamukunji Police Station and Central Police Station without the knowledge of police IG.

"People are complaining that those two stations have become the new torture chambers. That is the reason Albert had to be moved from Homa Bay to Central Police Station in Nairobi," he claimed.

In a related development, the National Police Service (NPS) announced disciplinary action against senior police officers over Ojwang's death.

In a statement, NPS confirmed that several officers based at Central Police Station had been interdicted to allow for an independent investigation into the incident.

Police Spokesperson and Director of Corporate Communication, Muchiri Nyaga, said the action by NPS was to allow the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the matter without interference.

Those interdicted include the Officer Commanding Station (OCS), the duty officer who was on shift during the night of the incident, the cell sentry responsible for supervising detainees, as well as all officers assigned to the report office during the same period.

Source: TUKO.co.ke