Willie Kimani Kinuthia (21 April 1984 – 23 June 2016) was a Kenyan human rights lawyer who worked with the International Justice Mission (IJM) in Nairobi and a board member of Right Promotion Protection and also a member of the Law Society of Kenya (LSK)[1]
Extrajudicial execution
editOn 23 June 2016, Kimani alongside Josephat Mwenda, and their taxi driver, Joseph Muiruri, were abducted by four members of Kenya’s Administration Police and subsequently extrajudicially executed.[2][3]
On 1 July their bodies were recovered from Ol-Donyo Sabuk River with their arms tied behind their backs and with their bodies bearing signs of torture.[1]
Court case
editFollowing a three-week investigation, four Administration Police officers — Fredrick Leliman, Stephen Cheburet, Silvia Wanjiku, and Leonard Mwangi — were charged on 18 July 2016 with three counts of murder for the disappearance and murder death of Kimani, Mwenda and Muiruri.[4][5]
On 24 June 2021, his family called for the expedition of the murder trial, which was still ongoing, 5 years after his murder.[6] On September 20, 2021, a Kenyan judge ruled that the four accused had a case to answer.[7]
On 22 July 2022, three police officers; Fredrick Leliman, Stephen Cheburet, and Sylvia Wanjiku) and police informer Peter Ngugi were found guilty of three counts of murder — of Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri — officer Leonard Mwangi has been acquitted on all three counts of murder.[8][9]
Personal life
editKimani's parents were Paul Kinuthia and Elizabeth Wambui.[10] He was married to Hannah Wanjiku[11] with whom he had two children.[10]
Awards and honours
editIn recognition of his work, Kimani was named 2016 Jurist of the Year and awarded the posthumous award for his bravery in defending the downtrodden in Kenya.[12]
In 2017, Kimani was feted with the Fr. John Anthony Kaiser Human Rights Award by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) for his fight for the rights of the downtrodden in society.[13]
References
edit- ^ a b Kenya, Amnesty (2017-06-23). "We Shine a Light for Kenya's Mavoko Three". Amnesty International Kenya. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "Alleged Police Abuse in Kenya Escalates 'Beyond What Anyone Thought'". www.voanews.com. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "Dispatches: Four Police Officers Charged With Triple-Murder in Kenya". Human Rights Watch. 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "Willie Kimani was held in cell but cops made no entry in OB". The Star. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "Willie Kimani: Kenyan police charged with murder". BBC News. 2016-07-18. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "Justice delayed, justice denied? Family of lawyer Willie Kimani marks five years since his gruesome murder". Citizentv.co.ke. 24 June 2021. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "Kenya judge: policemen must answer for killing of human rights lawyer". SWI swissinfo.ch. Retrieved 2021-09-20.
- ^ "3 officers found guilty, one acquitted in Willie Kimani murder case".
- ^ "Willie Kimani murder: Police officer Leliman, three co-accused found guilty".
- ^ a b "I'll die before I get justice for my son's death – Willie Kimani's dad". The Star. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ Odenyo, Akello. "No closure: Our son is still waiting for his father, says slain lawyer's widow". The Standard. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "It is Willie! The Late Human Rights Lawyer Willie Kimani named 2016 Juristof the Year – ICJ Kenya". 14 December 2016. Retrieved 2021-08-09.
- ^ "LSK News › LSK Awards Lady Justice Mumbi Ngugi, George Oraro, SC and the late Willie Kimani, Advocate". lsk.or.ke. Retrieved 2021-08-09.