Nairobi Court Directs Police Officers To Buy Food For Inmates
Four police officers who skipped a court appearance on Monday to avoid testifying against their colleague, former police officer Ahmed Rashid, received an extraordinary punishment on Thursday from a Kibera court.
Officers were instructed to purchase and provide basic necessities such as bread, milk, soap, tissue, and toothpaste to remandees and court attendees.
The officers, who had been ordered to testify in the high-profile case against Rashid — also known as Hessy wa Kayole — were declared in contempt of court for failing to appear.
Only one of the six scheduled witnesses attended the court hearing.
One of the absent policemen was eventually pardoned. Rashid is charged with murder for the alleged extrajudicial execution of two suspected armed robbers on March 31, 2017, near the Amal Shopping Complex in Eastleigh, Nairobi.
The case sparked great public interest because of his unconventional policing techniques.
When the four officers finally came before Justice Diana Kavedza, they begged for mercy.
Judge Shocks with Order for Cops to Buy Soap, Bread, and Tissue for Prison Remandees After Missing Court
— Court Helicopter News (@CourtHelicopter) July 31, 2025
In a surprising ruling, Justice Diana Kavedza waived Ksh 10,000 fines imposed on five police officers who missed court in the Ahmed Rashid murder trial. Instead, she ordered… pic.twitter.com/EAkqFx1IhK
Kavedza accepted their apology but warned that their acts would not go unpunished.
“That is the punishment you pay for not coming to court. Go bring one bar of soap, one tissue, and a small toothpaste,” Kavedza ruled.
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She initially sentenced each of them to three months in jail or a Sh10,000 fine for contempt of court, but later modified the sentence to a more symbolic kind of justice—a public show of repentance benefiting those in remand.
The officers were seen distributing loaves of bread and packets of milk to remandees and court attendees inside the courtroom, drawing smiles and laughter from those present.
Justice Kavedza’s decision was greeted with applause as a rare moment of accountability and humanity within the often rigid court process.
The trial against Rashid, which has dragged on for nine years now, continues.
Nairobi Court Directs Police Officers To Buy Food For Inmates
