NAIROBI, Sept 13 (Askume) – Kenya’s acting police chief was sentenced to six months in jail on Friday for repeatedly defying orders to testify about the whereabouts of three people allegedly abducted by police.
A Nairobi High Court judge suspended the sentence for seven days to give acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli a final chance to appear in prison.
The case stems from a lawsuit by the country’s main bar association, the Kenya Bar Association, which is seeking a court order to release three men who were reportedly taken away by police in August and have not been heard from since.
All three were vocal on social media platforms in support of massive anti-government protests in June and July. Human rights activists say dozens of people who took part in the protests have been abducted by state agents and held in solitary confinement. Most were later released.
President William Ruto has promised to investigate the allegations, although he has broadly defended the conduct of state security services during the protests.
Judge Lawrence Mugambi asked Masingeli to attend court seven times to provide information on the whereabouts of the three men, but Masingeli never did.
“If Gilbert Masingeli does not appear before the Commissioner-General (Prisons), the Minister of Home Affairs should take all necessary measures permitted by law to ensure that Gilbert Masingeli is jailed,” Mugambi said in the order.
Police spokeswoman Rasila Onyango did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
In a statement on Thursday, Massengeli’s lawyers asked the judge to suspend the contempt finding and said efforts were ongoing to locate the three men.
