Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has been found in contempt of court over police barricades erected on roads leading into Nairobi’s Central Business District during the June 25, 2026 protests. High Court Judge Patricia Nyaundi ruled that Kanja was personally responsible for failing to ensure that police officers complied with an existing court order requiring prior public notice before roadblocks or barricades could be erected. The court directed Kanja to appear on September 22, 2026, to make submissions in mitigation before sentencing.

The case followed an application by Katiba Institute over police restrictions imposed during the commemoration of the 2024 Finance Bill protests. The court had previously ordered the National Police Service to notify members of the public before closing roads or setting up roadblocks and barricades in connection with the demonstrations. However, police blocked several routes into Nairobi’s CBD on June 25, including Uhuru Highway, Moi Avenue, Parliament Road, Ngong Road, Kangemi and Roysambu, without the required prior advisory. Justice Nyaundi rejected the argument that the police checkpoints did not amount to unlawful interference with movement, holding that the failure to give prior notice was itself a breach of the court’s directions.

“Citizens cannot meaningfully exercise their movement when confronted with sudden unexplained barriers,” Justice Nyaundi said.

The judge also found that Kanja had failed to demonstrate what specific measures he had taken to ensure that officers under his command complied with the court order. Police had disputed the contempt application. In a replying affidavit, Nairobi Regional Police Commander Issa Mohammed Mohamud argued that the court order did not impose an absolute ban on roadblocks, security checkpoints or traffic diversions. He also argued that the measures deployed on June 25 were not part of a centrally coordinated operation that would make the Inspector General personally responsible for each roadblock.

Katiba Institute, however, maintained that police had deliberately breached the court’s directions by blocking access to Nairobi without giving members of the public advance notice. The organisation argued that the restrictions disrupted access to workplaces, healthcare and other essential services. The contempt finding does not amount to a sentence. Kanja will first have an opportunity to present mitigation before the court determines the appropriate penalty. The case places the Inspector General’s responsibility for ensuring compliance with court orders at the centre of the proceedings, following the extensive police roadblocks deployed across Nairobi during the June 25 demonstrations.