Kenya’s acting police chief, Gilbert Masengeli, was sentenced to six months in prison on Friday for repeatedly defying court orders to testify about the disappearance of three men allegedly abducted by police officers.
However, the High Court judge in Nairobi suspended the sentence for seven days, giving Masengeli one final opportunity to appear in court before being sent to jail.
The case was initiated by the Law Society of Kenya, which filed a lawsuit seeking the release of the three men, who were reportedly taken by police in August and have not been heard from since.
The missing individuals were vocal on social media, supporting mass anti-government protests in June and July. Human rights activists claim that many protest participants were abducted by state agents, though most were eventually released.
Despite President William Ruto’s pledge to investigate these claims, he has largely defended the actions of state security forces during the demonstrations.
Judge Lawrence Mugambi had summoned Masengeli to court seven times to address the men’s whereabouts, but he failed to comply.
“If he does not surrender to the Commissioner General of Prisons, the minister of interior must take all legal measures to ensure Gilbert Masengeli is imprisoned,” Mugambi ruled.
Police spokeswoman Resila Onyango did not immediately comment on the ruling.
Masengeli’s lawyers, in a Thursday submission, requested the judge suspend the contempt ruling, stating that efforts to locate the missing men were ongoing.
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