Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) boss George Kinoti has been handed a four-month jail term over contempt of court.
Kinoti was sentenced on Thursday by High Judge Anthony Mrima for disobeying orders that required him to return firearms confiscated from businessman Jimmy Wanjigi.
Justice Mrima ordered Kinoti be jailed at Kamiti Maximum Security Prison.
He is required to surrender to the Prison authorities within seven days and failure to do so the Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai has been directed to effect his arrest.
In February this year, the High Court gave Kinoti 30 days to return Wanjigi’s firearms as ordered in 2019.
Justice Mrima gave Kinoti until March 25 to comply with the orders.
Justice Chacha Mwita had in June 2019 ruled that the State acted irrationally by carting away Wanjigi’s guns while he still held a valid license.
“The plaintiff’s rights were violated by the respondents. The actions of the respondents were unlawful and actuated by malice. The court grants orders that all firearms be returned to the plaintiff,” ruled Justice Mwita.
Police had seized seven firearms belonging to the businessman at his house in Malindi in 2017.
The crackdown was linked to his close association with Raila Odinga-led National Super Alliance (NASA) that rivaled Jubilee party in the hotly contested Presidential Election whose outcome was contested.
After DCI failed to return the firearms, Wanjigi filed a contempt of court proceedings.
But the DCI boss argued that the state had appealed against the High Court decision and the matter is still pending at the Court of Appeal.
In the case, DCI argues that some of the firearms held by Wanjigi are high precision military firearms not authorised to be held by civilians in Kenya under the Firearms Act.
