This was inevitable, wasn’t it? The collapse of law and order under William Ruto’s administration is something we could see coming all the way from Sugoi. Now it’s here, dressed in police uniforms, wielding batons, live ammunition, teargas, pink coloured water, and court-defying arrogance.
But today, there’s one man who deserves a special place in this shameful chapter of Kenya’s history – Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli. And I, like many law-abiding Kenyans who still believe in the Constitution, have just one question for you, Masengeli: Who the hell do you think you are?Here’s the context. On Thursday the 5th of September, 2024, Gilbert Masengeli, for the fifth time, ignored High Court summons. Not some casual invitation to a baraza, mind you – this is the High Court of the Republic of Kenya. The institution tasked with upholding the very Constitution that Masengeli’s officers are sworn to protect.
Flashback: Instead of honouring a simple habeas corpus order issued on the 26th of August to produce three individuals abducted by the police, Masengeli, without flinching, defied the court. And then again twice on the 3rd of September. And again twice on Thursday the 5th of September. That's five times in total. Like a boss.
And yet he remains in his position, unaccountable, untouched, defiant.
This, Gilbert Masengeli, is the anatomy of anarchy. When the police—those entrusted with maintaining order—flagrantly disregard the rule of law, what message are you sending to Kenyans? That the law doesn’t matter? That the police, of all people, are above it? That court orders are suggestions, not directives? What then should ordinary Kenyans do when the very forces meant to protect them become a threat?You are opening a Pandora’s box, my friend, and it’s not going to end well. Disobedience trickles down. Defiance spreads like wildfire. When those in power trample over the law, the people will not be far behind. You may think that because you wear a uniform, you have a monopoly on lawlessness. But mark my words – anarchy doesn’t discriminate. It consumes everyone, uniformed or not.But let’s not pretend that Masengeli’s actions are in isolation. His contemptuous disregard for the law is but a reflection of the broader rot that has infected William Ruto's administration. The impunity, the arrogance, the sheer disregard for human rights – it’s all part of the same picture. And it starts from the very top. Which brings me to you, Mr. President.When you stood before Kenyans and declared that “those who believe in God won,” did you envision that the victory would mean abducted citizens, enforced disappearances, and a police force that answers to no one? Is this the Kenya you promised?
Because this is the Kenya we are living in. The Kenya where, as of now, the following citizens are still missing: - Bob Njagi
- Jamil Longton
- Aslam Longton
- Gideon Muli
- Puruty Njeri
- Emmanuel Kamau
- Lillian Moseti
- Kirui Chebet
- Jombatek Matos
- Owino Evans Onyiego
- Joseph Otieno
- Emmanuel Kamau Mukuria
- Peter Macharia
Real people, Mr. President. Real families torn apart. Real lives hanging in the balance, without so much as a whisper from those responsible for their disappearance.You claimed ignorance, Mr. President. You said no one has furnished you with the details. Well, there they are. No more excuses. No more hiding behind your office. The names are in front of you, and so is the pain of the families who are anxiously waiting for a glimmer of hope that their loved ones might still be alive.
Where is the humanity in William Ruto's administration? Where is the diligence? Where is the justice?
While the families of these missing Kenyans wait in torment, your government continues to display an alarming nonchalance about their plight. Your police continue to ignore court orders with impunity. Your administration continues to act as though these are mere statistics, not human beings. And even you, Mr. President, have offered little more than hollow words, empty of any real action or accountability.What, exactly, do you plan to do about this?
Yet now, the same government that is responsible for the deaths and disappearances is quietly pushing to dispose of these bodies. No accountability. No identification. Just a swift move to erase the evidence and move on.The Law Society of Kenya tried to intervene, demanding that the public be given at least 120 days to identify the bodies, and calling for DNA testing before any burials. But Justice Lawrence Mugambi, in his ruling, refused to grant the order, stating that the claims made by the LSK were too “general."
General?
Mr. President, when the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights reports that over 60 people have been killed in these protests, and when families are still searching for their missing children, how can these claims be "general"? These are human beings we are talking about! But in Ruto’s Kenya, the state seems more intent on burying the dead and silencing the missing than offering any sort of justice or transparency.
So here we are. A country where the police defy the courts, where protestors are gunned down and disappeared, and where the government’s response is to bury the evidence – both figuratively and literally.
Gilbert Masengeli, I ask again: Just who the hell do you think you are?And to you, Mr. President, when will you stop pretending that this is someone else’s problem? This is your Kenya. These are your citizens. This is your mess. What are you going to do about it? ***
For all the talk of “those who believe in God,” I don’t see much godliness in the way this administration is handling the lives and rights of Kenyans. Instead, I see a regime drunk on power, unaccountable and unrepentant.
This is not the Kenya we were promised. And if we don’t act soon, it will be too late to save it. The writing is on the wall.
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