For the seventh time in a row, Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has failed to appear before the High Court, ignoring repeated summons regarding the mysterious disappearance of three individuals in Kitengela.
Despite the court’s directive, Masengeli sent his legal team to inform Justice Lawrence Mugambi that he was currently occupied with “operational matters in Wajir.”
In a show of how the force takes this issue ‘serious’, Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat was sent to represent Masengeli, though the move did little to appease the petitioners.
Lawyer Nelson Havi, representing the petitioners, expressed frustration with the acting IG’s continuous defiance of court orders, questioning how long the court would tolerate such behavior.
“How long will the court allow the acting IG to ignore summons at his will and even send his deputy to appear on his behalf?” Havi asked.
Havi proposed that Masengeli’s repeated defiance should result in serious legal consequences.
“At the end of this, we will ask the court to do two fundamental things; to convict the acting IG for contempt of court and to sentence him to the highest permissible legal consequence. We want Gilbert Masengeli not to hold public office because it is not his personal property,” Havi argued.
Backing Havi’s stance, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) president Faith Odhiambo criticized Masengeli’s excuses, suggesting they lacked credibility.
“The acting IG was at the coast last week taking pictures and having a tete-a-tete instead of obeying court orders,” she remarked.
Masengeli’s presence is required in court to explain the whereabouts of three individuals—Jamil Longton, his brother Aslam Longton, and activist Bob Njagi—who were allegedly abducted by individuals believed to be police officers on August 19, 2024, during the Gen Z protests.
