A court has ordered acting police chief Gilbert Masengeli to appear for questioning or face six months behind bars. If he does not show up to explain the mysterious disappearances of three people, Masengeli might be trading in his uniform for a prison jumpsuit, and not the fashionable kind.
The whole mess began when three protesters vanished in Kitengela, a place most Nairobians only know as “where we get Nyama Choma,” on August 19, 2024. These men were protesting, ironically, against previous abductions blamed on the police. Protesters against abductions get abducted. You could not make this stuff up if you tried.
Now, the court is not playing around. They have already found Masengeli guilty of contempt for ignoring several summons to explain himself. In typical Kenyan style, where deadlines are mere suggestions, he has been given one more week to appear in court and cancel his impending six month vacation at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison. The clock is ticking, boss.
Kenyan police have been accused of running hit squads like they are auditioning for a role in “Narcos: Nairobi.” It is not just activists or protesters who feel the heat—lawyers, rights defenders, and anyone who digs too deep into police mischief often end up in a missing persons report.
The Independent Police Oversight Authority (IPOA) has been investigating a series of mysterious arrests and abductions ever since anti government protests flared up across the country in June 2024. These protests, which were hotter than Nairobi in December, resulted in the deaths of more than 60 people, triggering outrage and even forcing former police chief Japhet Koome to resign. Now Masengeli, who stepped into Koome’s shoes on July 25, is apparently too busy to answer a few court summons.
Let us not forget the infamous Willie Kimani case. Back in 2016, the lawyer’s brutal murder, along with two others, shocked the nation. Their bodies were found wrapped in sacks and dumped in a river like last week’s Sukuma Wiki. After much public outcry, three police officers were sentenced in February 2023—ranging from 24 years in jail to the death penalty. So yes, Kenyans have seen this movie before, and they are not exactly excited for the sequel.
If Masengeli doesn’t show up this time, he might soon find himself “facing the music” in Kamiti, where even a 6 month sentence can feel like a lifetime. But maybe he will have time to reflect on his career choices while he is there.
