Acting Police Inspector-General Gilbert Masengeli.
As the High Court in Nairobi was hearing a case in which Acting Inspector-General of Police Gilbert Masengeli was summoned to explain the recent abduction of three men, he was quietly tucked away in Mombasa.
Mr Masengeli was initially spotted in the coastal city on Wednesday at the start of the Agricultural Society of Kenya (ASK) show. On that morning, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir was expected to officiate the opening of the event but was represented by his deputy Francis Thoya.
Interestingly, unlike his high profile in government, no invite was sent out while no information was leaked to the media regarding his planned visit to the showground when he inspected the National Police Service stand yesterday. Additionally, a team from national broadcaster KBC came to cover him after he already arrived at the venue, signalling the possibility that they were also kept in the dark over the visit.
Come Thursday, Mr Masengeli was out of sight from the public eye when Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua went to officially open the show.
Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua and Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir acknowledge greetings during the Mombasa Agricultural show on September 5, 2024.
At the NPS stand, only a handful of photojournalists were allowed to accompany DP Gachagua in. It later emerged that Mr Masengeli was hosting him there alongside Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohamed Amin.
Photos revealing his presence at the venue were later posted online by the DCI.
However, at the podium where all the VIP guests were, he was nowhere to be seen, with sources telling the Nation that he left the showground immediately after hosting DP Gachagua at the police stand.
In Nairobi, State prosecutors told Justice Lawrence Mugambi Thursday that Mr Masengeli was attending a workshop in Mombasa. He responded by ordering that the police boss appears in court at 3pm the same day.
Sixth snub and counting
However, this was not to be as the police boss snubbed the court's summons for a sixth time.
The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) now says it wants him punished for contempt after failing to show up several times to explain the whereabouts of Jamil Longton Hashim, his brother Aslam Longton and activist Michemi Njagi.
The three were abducted by men believed to be police officers on August 19, 2024, during the Gen Z-led protests.
Jurgen Nambeka, Anthony Kitimo and Valentine Obara
