Police won’t be intimidated, Masengeli says amid row with Judiciary
Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli has defended the independence of the National Police Service (NPS), refuting claims of interference raised by the Judicial Service Commission.
The statement follows the withdrawal of bodyguards assigned to Justice Lawrence Mugambi, days after the judge sentenced the Acting IG to six months in jail for contempt of court.
In a statement, Masengeli said that the protection of all Kenyans including judges remains a top priority of the police force, asserting that its operations are not subject to influence from any external authority.
“Article 245(4)(c) of the Constitution provides for the independent Command of the NPS vested in the Inspector General of Police (IG) and no person may direct the IG with respect to the ‘employment, assignment, promotion, suspension or dismissal of any police officer,” stated Masengeli.
He further clarified that while it is impractical to assign personal security detail to every Kenyan, the NPS takes into account both individual security needs and broader national security threats when determining such requests.
The police chief affirmed that the NPS would not be swayed by intimidation attempts.
“The NPS completely rejects any attempts to intimidate, coerce, or interfere with the operational and functional independence of the police,” said Masengeli.
“All police officers across the country will continue to fulfill their duty to protect the people of Kenya from harm and crime without fear, favor, ill will, or affection. The IG will go above and beyond to safeguard the operational and functional independence of the NPS.”
The post Police won’t be intimidated, Masengeli says amid row with Judiciary first appeared on KBC.
The post Police won’t be intimidated, Masengeli says amid row with Judiciary appeared first on KBC.
