Albert Ojwang's death: KMPDU boss Atellah demands DIG Lagat ouster over police brutality

Kenya Medical Practitioners, Pharmacists and Dentists Union (KMPDU) Secretary General Dr. Davji Atellah has issued a fiery statement condemning police brutality and calling for the immediate removal of Deputy Inspector General of Police, Eliud K. Lagat.

Dr. Atellah, speaking not just in his official capacity but as a victim of alleged police violence, recounted a harrowing personal experience during a peaceful demonstration staged by healthcare workers.

The protests, aimed at demanding better working conditions and dignity for doctors, reportedly turned violent after police intervention.

"I was violently attacked, tear-gassed, and dehumanized for simply demanding dignity for doctors and health for Kenyans," Atellah said in a strongly worded statement released Tuesday.

The remarks come in the wake of public outrage over the recent death of Albert Ojwang, a civilian who died under suspicious circumstances while in police custody.

Ojwang was arrested over a social media post he allegedly made against DIG Lagat. He was nabbed at his home in Homa Bay and was transported to Nairobi before being found dead at the Central Police Station cells.

Government pathologist Bernard Midia, after completing an autopsy on his body on Tuesday, revealed that Ojwang did not hit himself on the wall as earlier reported in a police report.

The incident has reignited national debate around the conduct of law enforcement and the unchecked impunity within police ranks.

Dr. Atellah pointedly accused Deputy IG Lagat of presiding over a rogue security regime that has repeatedly brutalized Kenyans under the guise of maintaining order.

"As long as the rogue Deputy Inspector General of Police Eliud K. Lagat remains in office, no Kenyan is safe," he said, adding, "This is what happens when lawlessness is condoned. When life is reduced to a statistic. When the police sworn to protect become perpetrators of impunity."

The KMPDU boss warned that silence in the face of such state violence should not be mistaken for peace, but rather surrender — and urged fellow Kenyans to speak out against brutality.

"We cannot build a stable economy or a functioning nation on the blood of citizens. Kenyans deserve justice."