Havi calls for arrest of top police chiefs over Ojwang's death

Screen Grab of Nelson Havi former LSK President and Simiyu Werunga a Security Expert. [Spice FM]

Former Law Society of Kenya (LSK) President Nelson Havi has called for the arrest of Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja, Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat, and Police Spokesperson Muchiri Nyagah over what he termed as the “concealment” of a murder.

Havi accused the top police brass of  misleading the public by claiming that blogger Albert Ojwang “banged his head against a wall” and was later found unconscious.

He argued that Ojwang’s arrest was unlawful and that both Kanja and Lagat were fully aware that “maligning someone’s name” is not an offence under Kenyan law.

“I have heard calls for the resignation of Kanja and Lagat. These two will not resign; they must be forcefully apprehended and taken to court and charged. That is the long and short of it,” said Havi on Spice FM on Wednesday, June 11.

Nelson Havi: The police spokesperson, Muchiri Nyagah, falsely claimed that Ojwang’ banged his head against a wall and was found unconscious. That narrative is untrue. Nyagah should be arrested for concealing a murder.

The Deputy Inspector General (DIG) cannot be both a… pic.twitter.com/lJKGC2Mvfj — SpiceFM (@SpiceFMKE) June 11, 2025

Security expert Simiyu Werunga, appearing alongside Havi, questioned why authorities transported Ojwang from Homa Bay to Nairobi, despite existing mechanisms that could have been used locally.

He further called for a deeper examination of the conduct of senior police officers in the country, saying that Kenyans need to hold the leadership of the police service accountable.

“For as long as we keep on talking, if the leadership of the police will never be held responsible, then we will never see change.”

Havi further accused the police of abusing their power, saying they should have informed Ojwang of the alleged offence and allowed him to present himself voluntarily.

“You should only be arrested when there is a decision to charge you, unless you have committed an offence in the presence of a police officer or an offence that requires apprehension,” explained Havi.

He also accused the police of being used by the political class to settle scores. “We’ve seen innocent Kenyans abducted, detained, and even killed for allegedly ‘maligning’ the names of powerful individuals. In many cases, police officers have acted as enforcers for the politically connected.”

“But now, it seems some officers believe they can carry out these violations on their own behalf as if they are above the law,’’ he added.

Reacting to the post-mortem results, Havi said: “The evidence is very clear. The Director of Public Prosecutions must prepare the files and have these individuals arrested and charged in court.”

Ojwang died in police custody at the weekend.

An autopsy into his death showed he died of head injuries, neck compression, and multiple soft tissue trauma. Pathologists ruled out suicide as claimed by police in a statement on Sunday.