Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja has until Friday, February 20, 2026, to meet opposition leaders who are demanding answers over alleged police harassment and failure to act on violent incidents linked to their events.
The ultimatum was issued after Kanja failed to attend a scheduled meeting at his Nairobi office on Monday, February 16, 2026, where opposition leaders had gone to raise concerns about security and accountability.
The delegation, led by Democracy for the Citizens Party leader Rigathi Gachagua, said they were denied an audience despite formally notifying the Inspector General’s office of their visit. They faulted Kanja for failing to appear in person and for not sending any of his deputies to represent him.
Among those expected at the meeting were Deputy Inspector General Lang’at and Deputy Inspector General Masengeli, but opposition leaders said none of them showed up.
“We are here today, but the IG is not here. Not even the DIG Lang’at is here. Not even DIG Masengeli is here. They have all taken off. We believe this is from orders from above, where they have been instructed not to engage us. But this is an issue of accountability, so we are not going to relent. We have said we will be back here again on Friday, and when we come, we expect no other than IG Kanja to be here to address the concerns that we have raised,” DAP-K Eugene Wamalwa said.
He added: “If he does not appear, we will keep coming here until we hold accountable all those officers who have conducted these gross violations of human rights.”
The leaders said they will now be visiting the Inspector General’s office every week until their grievances are addressed. They accused the police of disrupting their rallies and intimidating supporters during public gatherings.
At the centre of their demands is the January 25 attack at Witima ACK Church in Othaya, Nyeri, where Gachagua and members of his team were allegedly assaulted.
Former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka described the absence of the police leadership as deliberate.
“The Inspector General of Police and his entire team failed to appear, despite formal notification. Their absence was not accidental; it was a calculated choice. It speaks to an institution that has chosen silence over accountability, and defiance over duty to the Kenyan people,” he said.
Kalonzo also pointed to other recent incidents, including the teargassing of a rally led by Nairobi Senator Edwin Sifuna in Kitengela, where two people were allegedly killed. He termed the events as “state-sponsored repression.”
“We will return on Friday, February 20, 2026, or earlier if necessary, to receive the report that Kenyans deserve. If this impunity persists, we will return with the people of Kenya. This lawlessness will only be confronted by the collective action of citizens who refuse to surrender their democracy. Justice is not optional; it is our right,” he said.
The opposition maintained that no office or political directive should override the Constitution. They insisted that those behind the Othaya church attack and other cases of violence against citizens exercising their rights must be held responsible.
They revealed that they had earlier given the Inspector General a two-week deadline to arrest officers linked to the church attack and warned that failure to act could lead to mass action.
In response, the National Police Service said investigations into the reported incidents are ongoing.
“Upon receiving reports of alleged criminal activity, the Service promptly initiated investigations in accordance with the law. Officers have recorded statements, reviewed available footage, and analysed intelligence to establish the circumstances surrounding the incidents and to identify any individuals responsible. While preliminary inquiries have been undertaken based on information in the public domain, comprehensive investigations require affected persons and witnesses to record official statements to enable evidence-based conclusions and possible prosecutions,” the NPS said.
The Service called on members of the public with relevant information to step forward and assist with the investigations.
