A legal bid to block Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud Lagat from executing his official duties has been formally withdrawn. The application, which sought conservatory orders to bar Lagat from accessing his office or using any facilities of the National Police Service, was tied to the ongoing investigations into the death of blogger Albert Ojwang’, who died in police custody.
Appearing before the court, lawyer Ndegwa Njiru representing the petitioner explained that the situation had changed significantly since the application was filed. As such, they no longer saw the need to pursue the orders and would instead be seeking to amend the main petition to reflect the new reality.
Justice Diana Kavedza granted the request, officially marking the application as withdrawn. “The application is withdrawn as prayed,” she ruled, noting that the case will now be mentioned on July 10 for further directions on the revised petition.
Deputy IG Lagat had voluntarily stepped aside on June 16 to allow for independent investigations into Ojwang’s death, which sparked a wave of concern and criticism from civil society groups and opposition leaders.
In a public statement at the time, Lagat said his decision to step aside was guided by a sense of duty and responsibility. “In the good and conscious thought of my responsibilities as Deputy Inspector General,” he said, “I have opted to step aside to enable IPOA to carry out investigations without interference.”
With the application now off the table, attention shifts to how the amended petition will proceed and what further steps the court may take in addressing the larger questions surrounding Ojwang’s death and police accountability.
