Saboti MP Caleb Amisi has defended acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli, who has been sentenced to six months in prison for contempt of court. Amisi spoke during a youth meeting at his home in Matisi, Saboti sub-County, and criticized the conviction as politically motivated.
He suggested that Masengeli was being used as a scapegoat in the political clash between President William Ruto and his Deputy, and argued that former IG Japhet Koome should be held accountable instead.
“Masengeli cannot be a sacrificial lamb for mistakes made by the previous police regime,” Amisi stated. He praised Masengeli, noting, “He is a decent police officer with a good head on his shoulders. We studied together, and he has a Master’s degree; he is not just any ordinary policeman.”
On September 13, 2024, Masengeli was sentenced to six months in prison for repeatedly ignoring court summonses related to the disappearance of activist Robert Bob Njagi and brothers Jamil and Aslam Longton, who were abducted a month ago by individuals suspected to be police officers. Despite the summonses, Masengeli continued his duties and even attended the Mombasa ASK show, which drew criticism from the Law Society of Kenya (LSK).
LSK urged Judge Lawrence Mugambi to enforce the court’s authority, while Masengeli’s lawyer, Cecil Miller, argued that Masengeli was engaged in national security matters during the summons period. Justice Mugambi instructed that if Masengeli fails to report to the Commissioner General of Prisons, the Ministry of Interior must ensure he serves his sentence.
Masengeli, who took over as acting IG from Douglas Kanja, who is close to assuming office following Senate approval in August, was summoned for issues that occurred during his acting tenure.
