NAIROBI, Kenya- Nyali MP Mohammed Ali has backed Deputy Inspector General of Administration Police Gilbert Masengeli as a potential successor to Inspector General Douglas Kanja, saying the next police chief must restore public confidence in a service facing scrutiny over killings, enforced disappearances and deaths in custody.
Ali said Masengeli should be considered if a succession process arises, invoking the killing of Albert Ojwang as a reminder of the damage to public trust.
“At a time when public trust in the police is shaky, Kenyans need an IG with a clean record and proven leadership,” he said.
“If there’s any succession plan, then DIG Gilbert Masengeli should be considered best fit for the role of IG.”
Kanja remains the Inspector General. Ali’s statement did not identify an official vacancy or confirm that a process to replace him had begun.
Kanja’s leadership under scrutiny
Kanja was sworn into office on September 19, 2024, pledging to make the National Police Service more responsive and accountable to the public. His appointment followed the deadly policing of that year’s youth-led protests.
Since then, his leadership has faced scrutiny over the handling of demonstrations, allegations of abductions and compliance with court orders.
On Monday, September 28, the High Court spared Kanja punishment in a contempt case concerning police road barricades during demonstrations, after he appeared personally and promised compliance.
The court said the closures had violated freedom of movement and warned that a repeat breach could attract a custodial sentence.
Ali’s endorsement of Masengeli came a day after that ruling, although the MP did not expressly link his remarks to the proceedings.
Enforced disappearances and torture allegations
The concerns extend beyond individual deaths in custody.
In a statement issued on June 29, 2026, the Kenya National Commission on Human Rights said it had documented seven incidents of enforced disappearance linked to the June 25 demonstrations.
The commission said six protesters arrested outside Parliament were taken away in a police truck but could not subsequently be traced in police stations.
They were later abandoned along Langata Road and Ngong Road and told the commission they had been tortured while held at an undisclosed location.
KNCHR also reported hooded and plain-clothed officers operating from unmarked vehicles during the protests.
It urged the Inspector General to enforce court orders requiring officers policing demonstrations to remain identifiable.
Those findings followed earlier warnings.
In December 2024, KNCHR reported 82 cases of abductions or enforced disappearances since June that year.
Kanja had denied police involvement in the abductions reported that December.
The commission nevertheless demanded investigations, reminding the police of their responsibility to protect the public and establish who was carrying out the disappearances.
Police killings deepen accountability concerns
The Missing Voices coalition’s 2025 annual report documented 125 police killings, up from 104 in 2024, alongside six enforced disappearances.
June and July accounted for 68 of the killings recorded in 2025, with the coalition identifying protest periods as particularly deadly. Its report also highlighted delays in investigations and prosecutions, including resource constraints facing oversight bodies.
These documented cases provide the backdrop to Ali’s call for leadership capable of rebuilding confidence in the service.
“This decision is crucial in restoring faith in the Police Service as Kenyans haven’t forgotten about Albert Ojwang’s murder under police custody,” he said.
Ojwang’s death remains central to criticism
Ojwang died in June 2025 after being detained at Nairobi’s Central Police Station.
The initial police account suggested self-inflicted injuries.
An autopsy found head injuries, neck compression and other wounds consistent with assault, forcing the police leadership to withdraw its earlier explanation.
His death triggered protests and an investigation by the Independent Policing Oversight Authority.
Prosecutors subsequently announced murder charges against suspects, including police officers.
Ali ended his statement with “Wengine watatumaliza,” loosely translated as “The others will finish us.” He did not identify whom he meant.
Masengeli’s own record
Masengeli, whom Ali favours for the top job, has also faced scrutiny over accountability.
While serving as acting Inspector General in 2024, he was sentenced to six months in prison for contempt after repeatedly failing to honour court summons concerning three missing men.
The court suspended the sentence for seven days to allow him to comply.
Justice Lawrence Mugambi set aside both the conviction and sentence on September 20, 2024, after Masengeli appeared, explained his absence and apologised.
His endorsement places Masengeli within the succession discussion while leaving the broader questions of police accountability, public safety and respect for court orders unresolved.
