Gilbert Masengeli: Acting IG Sentenced to 6 Months in Prison, Ordered to Surrender

• Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has been sentenced to six months in prison for contempt of court after failing to respect court summons
• Justice Lawrence Mugambi ruled that Masengeli must surrender to the commissioner general of prisons within seven days to begin serving his sentence
• The court also directed Interior CS Kithure Kindiki to ensure Masengeli serves his sentence if he fails to voluntarily submit himself

The Nairobi  Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has been sentenced to 6 months in prison after being found guilty of failing to respect court summons.

What did court order Masengeli?

During a court session on Friday, September 13, Justice Lawrence Mugambi ordered the police boss to surrender to the commissioner general of prisons so that he could begin serving his sentence. Mugambi further stated that Masengeli is supposed to present himself to the prison within seven days.

“Masengeli is ordered to submit himself to the commissioner general of prisons to ensure that he is committed to a prison facility to commence serving his sentence of the imprisonment imposed,” ruled Justice Mugambi.

The court further stated that if Masengeli fails to surrender, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki must ensure he serves his jail sentence.

“In the event he doesn’t submit himself to the commissioner general of prison service as ordered, the Cabinet secretary for Interior must take all steps that are necessary to ensure Gilbert Masengeli is committed to prison serving the sentence imposed on him,” the judge stated.

Masengeli found guilty after ignoring court summons

The sentence comes after Masengeli was found guilty of disobeying court orders on Monday, September 9. Judge Mugambi said impunity and open defiance would not be allowed.

He ruled that Masengeli had continued to hold the court at ransom after he failed to honour six summons. The judge argued that the court could no longer ascertain what could have happened to three missing Kitengela individuals because of the acting IG’s action.

On Monday, September 9, Masengeli was summoned to court to address the disappearance of the three. However, the police chief delegated Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat of the Kenya Police Service to represent him, citing his presence in Wajir for security matters.