Masengeli should be punished for disobeying court orders - Lawyer Khaminwa

Khaminwa said no one is above the law to deliberately refuse to honour court orders.

In Summary
  • The senior counsel emphasised that court orders must be obeyed and whoever disobeys must face condemnation and be punished.
  • On Thursday, a day before the expiry of the 7-day grace period, the acting IG caved in to pressure and said he was willing to appear before the court.
Acting IG Gilbert Masengeli
Acting IG Gilbert Masengeli

Senior Counsel John Khaminwa now wants Deputy Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to be punished for disobeying court orders.

Speaking in an interview on Wednesday, Khaminwa said no one is above the law to deliberately refuse to honour court orders.

“We have had a practice in Kenya where court orders are not obeyed and this is in breach of the rule of law and our constitution,” Khaminwa said.

“In a matter relating to the acting Inspector general, it is a very simple matter, the acting IG should have been advised to come forward and give his version of the story of what has happened.”

The Senior Counsel emphasised that the court orders must be obeyed by all adding that whoever disobeys one must face condemnation and be punished in accordance with the law.

“For him to deliberately refuse to obey orders made by a court, that must be condemned and the law must be enforced, there is no option at all. The agencies of the law must move and do what is needed,” he said.

Masengeli has been in the eye of a storm after he was convicted of contempt of court and consequently sentenced to six months in jail.

The police boss was however given a week to appear in court and explain the matter failure to which the sentence will take effect.

The sentencing came after he failed to honour several court summons requiring him to appear before court to explain the whereabouts of three people believed to have been abducted by police.

The three Robert Njagi, Aslam Longton and Jamil Longton have gone missing for weeks prompting the Law Society of Kenya to file a case seeking to have Masengeli compelled to explain their whereabouts.

At the time, Masengeli was the acting Inspector General of Police.

On Thursday, a day before the expiry of the 7-day grace period, the Masengeli caved in to pressure and said he was willing to appear before the court.

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