IN SHORT: Several viral videos and posts on social media wrongly claim that the son of Kenya's deputy police chief Eluid Lagat killed a man in Thome in the capital Nairobi. But there is no evidence to support this.
A TikTok video shows a photo of Kenya's deputy inspector general (DIG) of police Eliud Lagat, who stepped aside from his position on 16 June 2025.
The video plays over dramatic music and is captioned: "Breaking news. Lagat's son killed someone last night at Thome."
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A post on the social media platform X, also making the same claim, reads: "Lagat's son killed someone last night at Thome."
The posts allege that Lagat's son was behind a deadly shooting in the Thome neighbourhood of the capital, Nairobi.
The same claim appears here, here and here. Some of the posts include links to blogs and tabloid news sites. (Note: See more instances at the end of this report.)
Context and background
Between 18 and 19 June, a man identified as Joel Maina was shot and killed inside a car at a petrol station in Thome estate.
The prime suspect, initially identified as Peter Langat, was arrested. He allegedly told investigators that he knew the victim and that his gun had gone off accidentally during a struggle. However, police officers noted that the bullet had entered the victim's head from the left and exited from the right, which was consistent with a close-range shot.
The incident sparked unrest in the area amid unverified claims that the suspect was the son of a senior government official.
Firearm ownership in Kenya is strictly regulated and individuals must demonstrate a clear need for owning one.
This tragedy occurred amid public uproar surrounding the death of teacher and blogger Albert Ojwang, which is being investigated by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority. As the complainant in Ojwang's arrest, DIG Lagat "stepped aside" temporarily, pending the outcome of the investigation.
This shooting incident happened soon after, followed by the claim in question. But does this claim stand up to scrutiny? We checked.
No evidence connects the suspect to DIG Lagat
Despite the widespread claims, there is no credible evidence linking the arrested suspect to Lagat.
A popular blogger who had previously suggested a connection between the suspect and DIG Lagat later admitted that the suspect was not related to the senior police officer after verifying the facts.
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Furthermore, the suspect appeared in court, where his identity was confirmed as Peter Kiplangat Chuma. It was also confirmed that he is an officer of the National Intelligence Service.
Additionally, no reputable news outlets have reported or even suggested a link between the suspect and Lagat. He also appears to be an older man and there is no mention of any family ties with the DIG. If he were Lagat's son, the claims would most likely have been confirmed in light of the controversy involving the police officer.
There is no evidence to suggest that the suspect involved in the shooting incident at Thome is Lagat's son.
More posts making the same claim can be found here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here, here and here.
