The High Court is set to determine on Thursday an application seeking to hold the Inspector General of Police, Douglas Kanja, liable for contempt of court.
The application stems from the events of June 25, 2026, when police barricaded roads leading into Nairobi’s Central Business District (CBD) despite an existing conservatory order requiring prior public notice before any such barricades or roadblocks could be erected.
Katiba Institute, which filed the application, accuses the National Police Service of defying the court order during operations mounted as thousands of people gathered in Nairobi to commemorate victims of the 2024 anti-Finance Bill protests.
The barricades were mounted along major routes into the CBD, including sections of Thika Road, Mombasa Road and Waiyaki Way, disrupting public transport and movement into the city centre.
The rights organisation wants Kanja held personally liable for the alleged violation.
The court will determine whether the police actions amounted to contempt of the existing orders and whether the Inspector General should be sanctioned.
