Abductions: IG Kanja, DCI Amin now risk conviction after court snub
What you need to know:
- Justice Bahati Mwamuye had on December 31 summoned the Interior CS and the police chiefs to appear before him personally.
- Instead, they sent lawyers to represent them before court, a move that was rejected by the judge.
The High Court has ordered Kenya’s top security chiefs, Inspector-General of Police Douglas Kanja and Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss Mohammed Amin, to appear in court on January 27 to give a report on recent abductions or risk sentencing and conviction.
This comes after the duo and Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen on Wednesday failed to appear in court as directed by Justice Bahati Mwamuye. Instead, they sent lawyers to represent them, a move that was rejected by the judge.
Justice Mwamuye had on December 31 summoned the Interior CS and the police chiefs to appear before him personally on January 8.
Five of the missing youth — Billy Mwangi, Peter Muteti, Bernard Kavuli, Gideon Kibet and Rony Kiplang’at — have since been released and reunited with their families.
Lawyers representing the abducted youth, led by Senior Counsel Kalonzo Musyoka, revealed that two abductees were still missing.
Justice Mwamuye adjourned the hearing briefly, to allow the lawyers representing the officials to find out their whereabouts.
In the petition, Law Society of Kenya (LSK) said the abductions were conducted in dramatic fashion and in broad daylight, some under the glare of CCTV footage.
“The abductions have been conducted by men who conceal their identities by wearing civilian clothes, hoodies and face masks with motor vehicles normally linked to police operations," the petition stated
LSK further said motor vehicles bear fake number plates, a clear ploy to disguise and conceal their identity as they whisk away their victims to unknown destinations.
The petition added that despite the abductions being reported at various police stations, the police boss issued a contradictory statement where on one hand he claimed that there was no police station in the country that was holding the reported abductees, while on the hand admitting that the matter in question was Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).
The petition added that the abductions have caused pain, anguish and despair among family members and a huge public outcry by members of the public, religious organisation groups and the political class.
