Court Sentences Acting Inspector General Masengeli to Six Months in Prison
Court Sentences Acting Inspector General Masengeli to Six Months in Prison
Justice Lawrence Mugambi ordered Masengeli to surrender to the Commissioner General of Prisons and serve his sentence within the next seven days.
The judge also ordered that if Masengeli fails to surrender himself, Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki take steps to ensure Masengeli is committed to prison to serve his sentence.
“Mr. Gilbert Masengeli is sentenced to six months imprisonment, he is ordered to submit himself to the Commissioner of Kenya Prisons to ensure he is committed to a prison facility to commence serving sentence,” ruled Justice Mugambi.
“The court nevertheless finds it desirable to impose this sentence as a coercive order as opposed to a punitive order. Mr Masengeli may avoid serving this sentence and in that regard suspend this sentencing for seven days only.”
Masengeli was found guilty of contempt of court on Tuesday, September 3, after failing to respond to six consecutive summonses.
He was summoned to appear before the judge to explain the whereabouts of two brothers, Jamil and Aslam Longton, and activist Bob Njagi, who were kidnapped in Kitengela last month.
In his previous ruling, Justice Mugambi described Masengeli’s conduct as unacceptable and bordering on outright intimidation.
“The willful disobedience of court orders is a direct affront to the rule of law,” the judge commented.
“Those who defy court orders must be held accountable, and failure to appear in court amounts to direct contempt.”
Today’s decision came after the accused filed an application requesting that the court postpone his sentencing to a later date.
Masengeli requested that his sentence be suspended because he was focusing on critical national security issues.
He claimed that ongoing security operations were more important and required his immediate attention, which justified his absence.
Court Sentences Acting Inspector General Masengeli to Six Months in Prison
