Security detail of Judge Lawrence Mugambi withdrawn after jailing Deputy IG Masengeli
The security assigned to High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi has been withdrawn with immediate effect after jailing Deputy IG Masengeli
The security assigned to High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi has been withdrawn with immediate effect after jailing Deputy IG Masengeli.
This comes barely three days after the judge sentenced Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli to 6 months in prison for contempt of court.
Chief Justice Martha Koome on Monday report that the security detail were withdrawn over the weekend after they were disarmed.
“A disturbing action was taken by the national police in the wake of sentencing of the acting IG. Police belonging to Mugambi were disarmed and subsequently withdrawn over the weekend,” Koome stated as she condemned the action.
The Chief Justice noted that the actions are against Article 160 of the constitution, which emphasises the independence of the judiciary.
“Retaliatory measures against a judicial officers are uncalled for. JSC calls for the national police to restore the security of Hon. Justice Mugambi,” she stated.
Koome further assured Kenyans that the Judiciary is committed to standing firm in protecting the rule of law, while condemning the “act of intimidation by the national police.”
Mugambi had been assigned security after he raised concerns about being surveilled by police officers concerning multiple summonses of the acting IG.
According to the judge, senior police officers had made several inquiries of Mugambi’s whereabouts, reaching out to his driver and bodyguard.
The commandant of Security of Government Buildings Lazarus Opicho was at the centre of the controversy, having been the one calling the driver and the bodyguard.
However, appearing before the court on Friday under the summon of Judge Mugambi, Opicho said that the calls were made out of genuine concerns for the judge’s security, especially after the shooting of a magistrate at Makadara Law Courts.
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He then apologised to the judge saying, “After the Makadara Law Court shooting incident, I found it prudent to personally call the police assigned to the judge for a briefing,” Opicho said.
Asked why he had chosen to contact his aides instead of him directly, Opicho apologised for that as well and promised to be more direct the next time.
“I endeavour to serve you diligently and all the judicial officers and this will not happen again,” Opicho stated.
Noting that the Acting IG was holding the judge at ransom, Judge Mugambi consequently sentenced him to 6 months in prison after missing court summons 7 times.
Despite his conviction, Masengeli is yet to start serving his sentence although he has been given a period of seven days to present himself.
Masengeli had been summoned in court to answer for the abductions and disappearances of activist Bob Njagi and siblings Jamil and Aslam Longton who were arrested by suspected police officers and never seen again about a month ago.
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