Nairobi, Sep 13 (IANS): The Kenyan High Court on Friday sentenced a top police officer to six months in prison for contempt of court.

High Court Judge Lawrence Mugambi directed Acting Inspector General of Police Gilbert Masengeli, who was absent from court, to report to the Commissioner General of Prisons within seven days to begin serving his sentence.

If Masengeli fails to surrender, Mugambi said that the cabinet secretary for interior and national administration must ensure he is committed to prison.

"Masengeli is guilty of contempt, and the court must impose appropriate punishment," Mugambi ruled, Xinhua news agency reported.

The judge, however, suspended the sentence for seven days to allow Masengeli to appear personally and explain the whereabouts of three individuals who went missing on Aug. 19 during anti-government demonstrations.

Masengeli had failed to appear in court despite being summoned seven times to address the disappearance of the three political activists.

"Masengeli can redeem himself by appearing before this court in person to answer the issues he has been avoiding; failure to do so will make the sentence effective," Mugambi said.

The judge said that impunity and open defiance would not be tolerated, warning that continued non-compliance would result in consequences.

Mugambi said that Masengeli's refusal to attend court had obstructed the judicial process and hindered the court's ability to determine the fate of the missing persons.

The Law Society of Kenya, an umbrella body of lawyers, that filed the case, said that the missing individuals had used social media to encourage youth participation in nationwide protests and oppose the Finance Bill 2024.

Following the ruling, Masengeli, through his lawyer, promptly applied to the court to overturn his conviction and suspend the sentence, claiming his absence was due to critical security operations, including responses to militia attacks and other urgent threats.