In Kenya, the acting head of the national police force has been sentenced to six months in prison for contempt of court. The Milimani Magistrates’ Court in Nairobi delivered its verdict yesterday. It accuses Inspector General Gilbert Masengeli of failing to appear before the judge after being summoned seven times. The magistrate wants to hear the police chief in a case involving the disappearance of three young men.
With our correspondent in Nairobi, Gaëlle Laleix
It was in Kitengela, south of Nairobi, that three activists disappeared in mid-August. According to the civil society organizations that filed the complaint, several witnesses claim that the young men were abducted by the police.
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The three missing persons had participated in rallies to denounce the disappearances of demonstrators during the youth protest movement in June. It is therefore to clarify the actions of the police that Gilbert Masengeli must be heard by the courts.
His lawyer justified his lack of availability by his high responsibilities. An excuse brushed aside by the magistrate. The judgment remains suspensive, however, if the inspector general of police appears in court within seven days.
According to Kenyan civil society, nearly 60 young people are still missing since the repression of the June protests.
- RFI
