By repoter
Nairobi, Kenya –
The High Court today sentenced Acting Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli to six months in prison for contempt of court, following his failure to appear before the court despite multiple summons.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi delivered the verdict, ordering Masengeli to surrender himself to the Commissioner General of Prisons.
However, the judge provided a seven-day window for Masengeli to avoid serving the sentence by appearing in court to address the outstanding issues.
“In the event he fails to submit himself, the Cabinet Secretary for Interior must take all necessary steps to ensure he is committed to prison to serve his sentence,” Justice Mugambi stated.
Prior to the sentencing, Masengeli’s lawyers, Cecil Miller and Steve Ogolla, made a last-ditch effort to halt the proceedings. They expressed regret for Masengeli’s non-attendance and reaffirmed his respect for the court’s authority.
However, Justice Mugambi declined to suspend the sentence, citing Masengeli’s repeated failure to appear despite numerous accommodations.
“As a court, I would not want to be unfair to anyone. I have done more than I could to accommodate him. I gave him more than fair chances,” the judge said.
The contempt charge stems from Masengeli’s failure to explain the disappearance of three individuals in Kitengela on August 19.
Despite multiple summons, Masengeli did not appear, instead sending DIG Kenya Police Service Eliud Lagat to represent him on Monday.
Justice Mugambi previously ruled that Masengeli had held the court “at ransom” and that it was no longer possible to ascertain the fate of the missing individuals.