IG Douglas Kanja takes oath inside the dock when he appeared for mitigation and sentencing in a contempt of court proceedings, September 28, 2026. /SCREENGRAB
Senior National Police Service officers on Monday accompanied Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja to the High Court in Nairobi as he appeared for mitigation and sentencing after being found in contempt of court over unannounced roadblocks erected during the June 25 protests.
Among the senior officers accompanying Kanja were Kenya Police Service Deputy Inspector General Eliud Lagat and Directorate of Criminal Investigations Director Mohamed Amin.
Kanja appeared before the High Court following a September 17 ruling by Justice Patricia Nyaundi, who found him personally responsible for failing to ensure that officers under his command complied with a court order governing the erection of roadblocks and barricades.
The contempt proceedings arose from a case filed by Katiba Institute over police restrictions imposed in Nairobi during the June 25, 2026, commemoration of the Gen Z-led anti-Finance Bill protests.
The rights organisation challenged the erection of roadblocks and barricades on major roads leading into the Nairobi Central Business District, arguing that police had failed to issue the advance public advisory required by an existing court order.
Justice Nyaundi found that the police had mounted emergency roadblocks and barricades without giving members of the public timely notice.
The judge held that Kanja had failed to ensure compliance with the order and consequently found him in contempt.
The proceedings trace back to conservatory orders issued by Justice Lawrence Mugambi on July 9, 2025, following a petition by Katiba Institute over police restrictions during demonstrations.
The order did not impose a blanket ban on police roadblocks or security checkpoints. Instead, it required the Inspector General and officers under his command to issue timely advisories before emergency barricading of roads, allowing members of the public to plan their activities accordingly.
The order followed police restrictions imposed on roads leading into Nairobi's CBD during protests in 2025.
The court subsequently considered whether the National Police Service had complied with the directive during the June 25, 2026, commemorations.
In her September ruling, Justice Nyaundi rejected the argument that the roadblocks were spontaneous responses to security threats and that police action could therefore be exempted from the requirement to issue an advisory.
The court found that the police had prior knowledge of the planned demonstrations and that no advisory was issued before the roads were barricaded.
Justice Nyaundi therefore concluded that the threshold for contempt had been met and directed Kanja to personally appear for mitigation and sentencing.
The ruling placed personal responsibility on the Inspector General for ensuring that officers under his command complied with the binding court order.
Kanja had denied wilful disobedience, with the police arguing that the contempt application was misconceived and that there was no evidence that the Inspector General personally authorised the specific roadblocks.
The police also argued that the June 25 demonstrations were unlawful and that officers had acted within their mandate to prevent disorder.
The court, however, found that the absence of the required public advisory amounted to non-compliance with the order.
Monday's appearance marked the next stage of the proceedings, with the court considering Kanja's mitigation before determining the sentence for the contempt finding.
