By Tajeu Shadrack Nkapapa
The Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has been sentenced to six months in jail for contempt of court.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued the ruling on Friday following the police boss repeated failure to comply with court summons on seven occasions.
According to Justice Mugambi ruling the acting IG Mr. Masengeli must avail himself to the Commissioner General of Prisons to ensure that he is committed to a prison facility to begin serving his sentence of 6 months in prison.
He said that failure of the police boss to submit himself to the commissioner general of prisons, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior should take charge enforce the order.
“He is ordered to surrender himself to the Commissioner General of Prisons to serve his sentence. In the event he fails to surrender himself to prison, the CS for Interior must take steps to ensure he is committed to prison to serve his sentence,” Justice Lawrence Mugambi said in his ruling.
The court, however, postponed the sentence for a period of seven days to provide Masengeli with the opportunity to redeem himself by adhering to the court’s directive failure to that he faces the sentence.
“In that regard, Mr Masengeli may avoid serving this sentence and in that regard, the court shall suspend this sentence for seven days only. The Acting police IG may redeem himself and comply by availing himself before this court in person to answer to issues he has been avoiding. In default, the sentence shall automatically become effective,” Justice Lawrence ruled.
The Acting IG was called before the court to provide an account of the locations of Jamil Longton, his brother Aslam Longton, and activist Bob Njagi, who were abducted in Kitengela on 19th August 2024 by people who were believed to be police officers.
The missing persons were abducted during the anti-government protests organized by Gen Z.