KITUO CHA SHERIA BLOG
Legal Chronicles
How Safe Are Human Rights Lawyers In Kenya?
Access to JusticeJune 28, 20161 CommentsKituo Cha Sheria
KITUO CHA SHERIA is deeply concerned about the disappearance and the unknown whereabouts of Mr. Kimani Advocate, a Kenyan professional entitled to protection whilst on duty. It remains a mystery that, four days after his disappearance, there has been no sighting of him; there is no information of where he might be or what might have happened to him!
As a legal aid, human rights organization with lawyers representing clients against government authorities, including the police, KITUO is deeply concerned about the welfare of lawyers who toil each day to help their clients, mostly the poor to access justice.
This follows the media reports that whilst travelling from Mavoko Law Courts with his client after a Court appearance on Thursday 23rd June 2016, lawyer Willie Kimani together with his client Eric Mwendwa were picked up by a taxi driver John Muiruri towards International Justice Mission offices in Westlands, but were hijacked near Mlolongo area.
If what is being reported in the media that: Mr Eric Mwendwa had alleged that the charges against him followed his claim that he had been shot at by a Police officer in a dispute of a personal nature and further that; Mr.Mwendwa lodged a complaint with Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA), accusing the officer of attempted murder and of framing charges, Kituo Cha Sheria smells a rat.
KITUO takes the view that; Lawyers who act as officers of the Court; with an overriding obligation to accept any instructions and to represent clients whilst carrying out their Constitutional duty of ensuring access to justice; should be able to do so without fearing for their lives.
Kituo Cha Sheria therefore joins the International Justice Mission, a human rights organization that has excelled in representation of victims worldwide and other organizations in asking the question, just how safe are human rights lawyers in Kenya whilst in the course of duty?
Kituo Cha Sheria remains alert to this disturbing news and reality and is considering if and when appropriate to seek habeas corpus orders since there are media reports that certain bodies have been sighted, but have not yet been produced.
In the meantime, the family of Kituo Cha Sheria stands in solidarity with the families of Mr. Kimani, Mr. Mwendwa and Mr Muiruri and we keep them constantly in our thoughts and prayers.
28th June, 2016
By
Angote Gertrude
Kituo Cha Sheria
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Cabdi
August 11, 2018
Corruption and use of power of authority by the corrupted Kenyan government entities will never stop. Have you heard the case of Somali Kenyan innocent man snatched out of his home in east-light back in January 2014 kept in the most maximum sentence prison, tortured, harassed, denied freedom and threaten to be killed all with out any charges or any conviction. After long four years of intense beating, intimidation, starvation and threatening and delaying of court rulings. Finally on 22nd of January 2018 along with three other young men, the judge acquitted him on all counts of any wrong doing but hasn’t seen since that day. He has been reported that he has been murdered by police or unit-terrorism unit. Families and friends are seeking help to find and answer to this human right violation and power abuse case by the government authorities and to bring justice for these corrupted and crooked cops that ruins people’s life.
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