IG Kanja Sued For Contempt Of Court For Allegedly Deploying Plainclothed Officers

The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) on Friday filed a petition against the Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja citing contempt of court....CLICK HERE TO READ THE FULL ARTICLE

In its petition, LSK accused the police boss of allegedly deploying masked and hooded officers to disrupt a peaceful procession by a section of Kenyans who were going to present their grievances to the Office of the President on September 24.

According to the independent Institution, Kanja’s action contravened a court order issued in August that police officers should display their service numbers and always remain identifiable at all times when dealing with persons exercising their rights under Article 37.

LSK further claimed that the court ordered the police IG to ensure that where plainclothes police are deployed, they should not in any way hide or obscure their face to render them difficult to identify or unidentifiable.

“The respondents have since violated these orders and continued to deploy unidentifiable, masked police officers and uniformed police officers with hidden concealed service numbers in disregard of the pronouncement of this Honourable Court specifically,” LSK noted.

LSK in its petition cited the police IG of gross violation of Articles 10, 73, 159 and 244 of the Constitution for disobeying the court’s order of 14th August 2024.

The petitioners called on the court to convict the police boss for the offence of contempt of court and be sentenced to six months imprisonment per the law.

“That the above sentence be and is hereby suspended if, within 14 days of the order, the police IG gives a written undertaking to comply with the order and guarantee a non-repetition of their disobedience of the court’s order of August 14 2024,” stated the Law Society.

“That the orders sought ought to be granted to protect and preserve the dignity and process of this Honourable Court and further, it would be in the interest of justice and fairness if the said orders are granted…CLICK HERE TO READ MORE ARTICLES>>>