Gilbert Masengeli, the embattled Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police, has now apologized to the High Court after being found in contempt in a case involving the disappearance of three Kenyans.

Masengeli, the acting Police Inspector General at the time of the disappearances, was sentenced to six months in prison, which was later suspended for seven days to allow him to purge the contempt.

In an affidavit filed on September 20, 2024, Masengeli admitted to missing court hearings, citing operational challenges such as his participation in security operations in Northern Kenya and the Coast region as the primary reasons for his absence.

He did, however, acknowledge the court’s authority and promised to cooperate going forward, including submitting a detailed progress report on the case in the coming days.

“I humbly apologize to this Honourable Court for violating orders and agree to comply in the future”. In his affidavit, he stated that his absence from court was not intentional, but rather due to operational challenges.

The case, which has received a lot of attention, began after the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) filed a petition on behalf of activist Bob Njagi and his siblings Jamil Longton and Aslam Longton, who were allegedly kidnapped by people suspected of being police officers in Kitengela on August 19, 2024.

The LSK secured interim habeas corpus orders on August 23, directing Masengeli to produce the three missing individuals. However, Masengeli failed to comply, leading to his conviction for contempt of court on September 9, 2024.

Masengeli had maintained that investigations were underway to locate the three persons and provided reports on efforts to trace their whereabouts.

He also outlined his non-deliberate absence from court due to critical security operations in Lamu and Marsabit, which he said demanded his presence.

The court, which had expressed concerns over Masengeli’s failure to appear in person despite virtual court options being available, is on Friday expected to review the situation following the Deputy IG’s submission.

Njagi and the Longton brothers have since been found alive and dumped in Kiambu County on Friday morning, just a few hours before Masengeli was expected to appear in court in an attempt to quash his sentencing to jail for contempt.