Sossion: Plot to fix DIG Lagat diverts attention from true culprit in Ojwang murder
Former Kenya National Union of Teachers (KNUT) Secretary General, Wilson Sossion, has put up a spirited defence for Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Eliud Lagat, who is facing intense public scrutiny and pressure following the controversial death of Albert Ojwang in police custody shortly after his arrest.
Speaking during a discussion on a local TV station on Thursday, June 12, 2025, Sossion described the accusations against Lagat as misplaced and lacking a factual basis. He criticised what he termed as emotional sensationalism and called for sobriety in the ongoing discourse.
Sossion urged the public to avoid rushing to conclusions and warned against what he described as mob justice. He said the current uproar risks derailing the investigations and shifting attention from the real culprits.
“This is the simplest case in the world because the suspect was taken to Central Police Station. Lagat is not based at Central Police Station. There is an OCS, there are officers who manage the station,” Sossion stated.
He referred to a session in Parliament where Transport Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen presented police standing orders, explaining the proper way suspects should be processed even before admission to a station. Sossion said this information, which had not been widely known, should guide the public and the media in understanding what happened.
He insisted that filing a complaint as DIG Lagat did against Ojwang over cybercrime does not make him responsible for the suspect’s death.
“Until facts point to his direction, the DIG should not be tagged. There are no facts that point to him; he only filed a complaint, which is normal for anybody. He was not even at the station, so he cannot be the person of interest,” Sossion said.
He also raised concerns that someone could have killed Ojwang as part of a plot to frame Lagat, noting how quickly the case was being politicised and distorted in the public.
“Someone could have killed Alfred Ojwang to fix DIG Lagat because the rate at which this death is taking a disturbing wrong dimension is alarming, and we might end up losing focus on which officer killed Ojwang,” Sossion added.
Prime suspect
Sossion’s fiery defence of Lagat comes after the Director of Criminal Investigations (DCI), Mohammed Amin, pointed fingers elsewhere. He told the Senate on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, that the commander of Central Police Station, Samson Talaam, should be treated as a prime suspect in the killing of Ojwang.
According to Amin, Ojwang was picked up from his home in Kabondo-Kasipul constituency in Homa Bay by DCI officers. He was first briefly held at Mawego Police Station before being transported directly to Nairobi.
Amin dismissed rumours that the suspect had been taken to DCI headquarters for interrogation. He confirmed that GPS tracking of the Subaru Forester used for the transport showed it moved straight from Homa Bay to the Central Police Station in Nairobi.
The DCI boss emphasised that Ojwang was treated respectfully during the journey. At one point, he asked for refreshments and was given some in Narok.
“The deceased was treated with utmost humility from Mawego to Nairobi,” Amin said.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja also addressed the Senate and confirmed that Ojwang had spoken with his wife upon arrival at Central Police Station.
“He was allowed to call his family back home, where he did indicate to his wife that he had reached Central Police Station, and that he was safe,” Kanja said.
This confirms that Ojwang was alive and well upon reaching the station, casting more suspicion on what happened inside the facility.
Following the incident, Kanja interdicted six police officers who were on duty the night Ojwang died. They include the station commander, Samson Talaam, his deputy, Samuel Nganga, Charles Muriuki, Debian Lusweti, the crime aid officer, Evaline Kanyiri, who was in charge of the reports office, and Peter Kimani, who was responsible for cell supervision.
