Relatives and friends of the slain lawyer turned up in great numbers on Saturday for his burial in Kikuyu, Kiambu county/KEVIN GITAU
KIAMBU, Kenya, Jul 9 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has been urged to break his silence on the subject of extra-judicial killings following the brutal murders of Lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri; four Administration Police officers having been identified as suspects.
Speaking during the burial ceremony of the slain lawyer, leaders from Kiambu called on the head of state to rein in on police impunity following amendments to the security laws that gave him greater sway.
“If you go to the police, they will tell you that they are shooting people because even if they take criminals to court, because of corruption, they will be set free. They are saying that they do not have confidence in the court process,” former MP and renowned lawyer Paul Muite stated.
“This means that we should know the root cause of extra-judicial killings and it is corruption. Our disease is corruption and if we treat it, this matter will not occur again.”
Ferdinand Waititu who now holds the Kabete legislative seat on which Muite once sat on supported his predecessor’s sentiments and said a statement from President Kenyatta would go a long way in curbing police impunity.
“In this matter of Kimani, it is very disappointing and frustrating to some of us who have been defending this government all through. This is because this action of extra- judicial killings should not be happening in this government of Uhuru Muigai Kenyatta,” he said.
Gatundu South MP Moses Kuria said blame should not be heaped on the entire police force because of a few unscrupulous elements.
He went on to call on the public not to hold back but to assist in the weeding out of those elements.
“Yes, we have got bad elements in the police service. The government does acknowledge and accept that. There are bad elements within the police just like there are bad elements within our families, bad elements within our church,” he told the mourners. “The commitment of the government is to ensure that we continue working to reform the police to ensure nobody can hide behind the police force to continue with these murders.”
Relatives and friends of the slain lawyer turned up in great numbers on Saturday for his burial in Kikuyu, Kiambu county where they described him as a courageous and dedicated person.
Kimani, Mwenda and Muiruri’s brutal murders have drawn wide-spread condemnation including from envoys of the Western world made a point to attend Friday’s memorial.
READ: Court told of crushed testicles, skulls in riveting murders
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