The Police Reforms Working Group called on the Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Langat to step aside to enable transparent and fair investigations into the brutal murder of Albert Ojwang.
This is after the results of the postmortem conducted at the City Mortuary to determine the cause of Ojwang’s death revealed he did not die of self-inflicted injury but as a result of severe injuries to the head, neck and multiple soft tissue injuries in different parts of his body.
PRWG-K officials were speaking during a press conference held at the Kenya National Human Rights Commission offices on Wednesday.
The Independent Medico-Legal Unit (IMLU) Executive Director and convener of Police Reforms Working Group Grace Kahuria said that the autopsy report indicated that Ojwang was tortured and then murdered.
They said Lagat must act in the public interest and allow for an impartial and speedy investigation.
“Investigation into the death of Albert Ojwang cannot be impartial or seen to be impartial while the complainant is at the helm of the investigation,” the statement said.
PRWG-K called for the National Police Service Commission to provide the circumstances leading to the arrest and transportation of Ojwang from his rural home in Homa Bay to the Central Police Station in Nairobi.
“The National Police Service must account for Albert’s whereabouts for the entire period preceding his booking into the Central Police Station, “ the statement said.
“We demand that the National Police Service make known the chain of custody for the deceased from the time he was arrested to the time when he was booked in at Central Police Station.”
PRWG-K said that police stations are required to keep citizens safe, free from torture, inhumane treatment as per the protections envisaged in Article 244 of the Constitution of Kenya.
They demanded that the National Police Service promptly investigate Ojwang’s death to restore public trust.