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‘I want to let the people of Kenya know that they are safe’- IG Kanja as he appears in court over missing Mlolongo brothers

‘I want to let the people of Kenya know that they are safe’- IG Kanja as he appears in court over missing Mlolongo brothers
IG Kanja when he appeared at the Milimani Law Courts on Thursday, January 30, 2025. PHOTO/Screengrab by People Daily Digital

Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has assured Kenyans that they have no reason to be weary, emphasizing that the nation remains secure, even as a surge in abductions continues to instill fear across the country.

Speaking during a court session on Thursday, January 20, 2025, where he had been summoned over the disappearance of three Mlolongo brothers, the police chief urged Kenyans to remain calm, asserting that authorities were deploying every available resource to unravel the mystery behind the abductions.

The police boss was responding to a pointed question from Milimani Law Courts Justice Chacha Mwita, who challenged him on whether Kenyans should still trust law enforcement to guarantee their safety, given his insistence that he had no knowledge of the missing brothers’ whereabouts.

In his defense, Kanja maintained that all was in order and dismissed any notion that Kenyans should feel unsafe.

He further argued that if the country were in a state of insecurity, then all those present in court—whom he cited as an example—would not have safely returned from the Christmas festivities.

Because this officer is not here for the whole day. So he is asking whether the people should feel safe. What do you assure the people?” Chacha Mwita pressed.

“Your Honour, thank you so much for that question. I want to assure the people of Kenya that they are safe. We have just come out of the festive season, and throughout that period, everyone in this courtroom enjoyed Christmas and the other holidays without incident, precisely because this country is secure. So I want to reaffirm: we are safe,” Kanja responded with conviction.

Acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja. PHOTO/@NPSOfficial_KE/X
Acting Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja. PHOTO/@NPSOfficial_KE/X

Kanja was accompanied by DCI Director Amin Mohammed, who had also been summoned.

Mohammed defended himself, reiterating that they were actively investigating the perplexing disappearance of the three brothers.

The duo faced the court after mounting pressure following their repeated failure to honor three previous summons between December and January, as the enigma surrounding the missing men remained unresolved.

While defending himself, Amin categorically denied that the three were being held in any police station within the country or that he had any knowledge of their whereabouts.

“Finally, I wish to state, my Lord, that the missing persons are not under the custody of the National Police Service. We have not arrested them, and they are not within our custody. Under these circumstances, my Lord, we are in no position to produce their bodies.”

Court dismisses plea

Earlier, Justice Mwita had dismissed an application filed by Kanja’s lawyer, Paul Nyamodi, on January 17, 2025.

The application sought to quash the court’s order summoning Inspector General Douglas Kanja and DCI Director Amin Mohammed.

Rejecting the plea, Justice Mwita ruled that he was not convinced by the argument that the email address used to serve the court orders was incorrect.

“I’m not persuaded that the email address in question was not the confirmed address or that proper service was not effected,” Mwita ruled.

On January 13, 2025, Mwita had issued a directive mandating the IG and DCI to either produce the three missing Mlolongo men or personally present their bodies at the Milimani Law Courts by January 17, 2025.

However, on the day of reckoning, the IG and DCI, through their lawyer Nyamodi, informed the court that they had not received the orders, prompting them to file an application seeking to have the directive set aside.

In a firm pronouncement, Justice Mwita underscored that ensuring the safety and security of the three missing men remained an unwavering priority of the court.

“The fate of the three remains unknown, and securing their lives was, and must remain, a paramount concern of this court,” Justice Mwita ruled.

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