Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja is now facing growing pressure after a secret letter he wrote exposed what appears to be a cover-up involving his deputy, Eliud Lagat.
The letter has raised questions not just about Lagat’s honesty, but also about Kanja’s role in enabling deception within the police leadership.
What was initially presented as a step aside for investigations into the death of blogger Albert Ojwang has turned out to be nothing more than a routine leave requestapproved by the top police boss himself.
Lagat had publicly claimed on June 16, 2025, that he was stepping aside to allow a fair investigation into the suspicious death of Ojwang, who died in custody at the Nairobi Central Police Station.
The blogger had been arrested after Lagat personally filed a defamation complaint against him. That announcement seemed like a responsible move at the time, aimed at ensuring transparency in a case that was already drawing public concern. But what has now emerged paints a different picture.
Court documents reveal that on the very same day Lagat claimed to have stepped aside, he was instead granted 18 days of annual leave by Kanja. The letter from Kanja, which is now part of the court record, confirms this leave and even assigns Lagat’s duties to his principal assistant. It ends with a line wishing Lagat a “restful break.” Nowhere in the letter is there any mention of stepping aside for investigations or any concern about the serious matter involving a death in police custody.
This directly undermines the credibility of Lagat’s public statement. Adding to the confusion, Lagat later submitted a sworn affidavit in which he stated he had not vacated office and had not appointed anyone to take over his duties.
This contradicts both his earlier public announcement and the contents of Kanja’s letter.
The contradiction has rightly sparked outrage among human rights activists, legal experts, and the general public. Many now believe that the announcement of stepping aside was a calculated move to ease public pressure, not a genuine act of accountability.
IG Kanja cannot escape scrutiny in this matter. By signing off on Lagat’s leave under such suspicious circumstances, he is seen by many as having played a role in misleading the country.
If the police chief was serious about transparency, he should have rejected any leave request that allowed Lagat to pretend he was stepping aside for the sake of investigations.
Instead, Kanja’s letter helped build the false image that the police leadership was taking Ojwang’s death seriously. Activists like Eliud Karanja Matindi have said that these actions make it difficult for the public to trust any ongoing investigation.
With the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) still investigating the case, the false statements and contradictions coming from the police top brass only add to suspicions of a cover-up.
The public deserves the truth, and both Lagat and Kanja now owe the country answers.
At a time when public confidence in the police is already low, this incident only deepens the cracks. IG Kanja’s decision to approve the leave and remain silent as Lagat misled the public is not a small matter. It speaks volumes about the leadership crisis within the Kenya Police Service, and without real consequences, the damage to accountability and justice could be long-lasting.
