Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli faces the possibility of jail time after his efforts to overturn a recent conviction hit a roadblock when the Court of Appeal postponed the hearing to next week. If Masengeli continues to defy the court, his six-month prison sentence will begin by Monday.
Masengeli, who has yet to appear before Justice Lawrence Mugambi, has maintained his defiant stance, arguing through his lawyers, Cecil Miller and Steve Ogolla, that he was denied a fair hearing. They also claimed that sending representatives to court should have sufficed. However, the Court of Appeal offered no relief, delaying the hearing and leaving Masengeli at risk of imprisonment.
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As tensions rise between the National Police Service (NPS) and the Judiciary, President William Ruto intervened, urging both institutions to resolve their differences. "The National Police Service and the Judiciary are independent, but ultimately, they serve the people of Kenya. I call for more collaboration and unity," Ruto said during the launch of a strategic framework for reforms in the NPS, Kenya Prisons Service, and National Youth Service.
Meanwhile, additional petitions are being filed to declare Masengeli unfit for public office. On Wednesday, High Court advocate Charles Mugane submitted a petition arguing that Masengeli’s conviction for contempt of court violates Chapter 6 of the Kenyan Constitution and the Leadership and Integrity Act of 2012, making him unsuitable for public service.
Mugane stressed that Masengeli's continued tenure following his conviction undermines the principles of justice and public service, calling it a "gross mutilation" of the Constitution he is bound to uphold.
