Justice Lawrence Mugambi of the Milimani Law Courts on Friday, September 20 allowed former Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to redeem himself after he was sentenced to six months in prison.
At the High Court in Nairobi, the Judge thus suspended the sentencing of Masengeli, which was to start today, by seven days and granted the Deputy Police IG the opportunity to apologise and explain skipping summons by up to seven times.
“Mr Gilbert Masengeli can avoid the sentence if he complies with the direction to obey the court summons. I therefore suspend the sentence for 7 days only. He can redeem himself by availing himself before the court in person,” the judge stated.
Deputy Police IG Gilbert Masengeli (left) in court on September 20, 2024. /FACEBOOK
“This is a court of justice and must act fairly to those who appear before it. Gilbert Masengeli is entitled to be heard by virtue of this order. I will allow him to take to the stand and redeem himself.”
Following the decision, Justice Mugambi adjourned the court proceeding for 30 minutes after which Masengeli would be allowed to comment on the case.
Masengeli was represented by Attorney General Dorcas Oduor and lawyer Steve Ogolla. Before the adjournment, Masengeli had begun to defend himself by arguing that his priority was protecting the country’s borders.
The case which has since attracted public attention was lodged by the Law Society of Kenya which sought the court to compel the police IG to release the three Kitengela abductees, Bob Njagi, Jamil Longton and his brother Aslam Longton.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi issued the ruling on September 13, 2024, which sentenced Masengeli to six months in prison, stating that the deputy police boss could avoid imprisonment by appearing in court within seven days to address the issues he had neglected.
On September 20, 2024, Masengeli submitted an affidavit to the High Court, apologizing for his previous absences and acknowledging his contempt of court.
In the affidavit, he expressed remorse for not attending court hearings related to the disappearance of three individuals, citing operational challenges in security operations as the reason for his absence.
“I humbly apologize to this Honourable Court for breaking orders and undertaking to comply in the future. The non-attendance in court, however, was not intentional but rather due to operational challenges,” he said in the affidavit.
Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli. /X
