IJM Calls for Swift Justice in Willie Kimani Trial

NAIROBI, KENYA--(Marketwired - November 08, 2016) - International Justice Mission (IJM), a global organization working to protect the poor from violence, today issued a call for swift justice to be served in the trial of five suspects currently on trial for alleged complicity in the murders of IJM staff member Willie Kimani, IJM client Josephat Mwenda and trusted driver Joseph Muiruri. The three were abducted and killed this summer in Nairobi, Kenya shortly after leaving a court hearing.

"As this important, landmark trial begins, we stand with thousands of fellow Kenyans and justice seekers around the world to demand a swift and just trial in the case of the horrific murders of Willie Kimani, Josephat Mwenda, and Joseph Muiruri," said James Kironji, Director of Casework for IJM Kenya. "Today must mark the beginning of the end of the routine execution and abuse of Kenya's poor by those who should be protecting us. No Kenyan family should ever undergo the trauma of having their loved ones murdered by the police."

In a statement issued earlier this year led by Human Rights Watch, more than 30 civil society groups joined in solidarity with IJM's urgent call for justice.

In an immediate show of solidarity following the murders, civil society organizations, members of the Law Society of Kenya and hundreds of Kenyans of goodwill took to the streets in the capital city of Nairobi condemning the killings and calling for immediate investigation and prosecution. Thousands more across Kenya and the global community reiterated this call for justice by signing a petition calling on President Uhuru Kenyatta to ensure the ongoing meaningful prosecution of all those involved in the murders, accountability for all victims of enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killings and calling for the resignation of Deputy Inspector General Samuel M. Arachi, who leads the Administration Police Service.

VIEW THE PETITION HERE.

Kironji continued, "Josephat Mwenda, like so many other innocent men, was framed by police for a crime he did not commit. For his brave advocacy to fight such injustice, he was murdered. This case does not represent an isolated crime, but an entrenched pattern of police abuse. Only through the establishment of a powerful police accountability mechanism, its robust and certain enforcement and a dramatic change in police culture, will Kenyans trust that the government is serious about protecting all citizens irrespective of their station in life."

International Justice Mission (IJM) is a global organization that partners with local authorities to rescue victims of violence, bring criminals to justice, restore survivors, and strengthen public justice systems. IJM Canada shares in this mission.

Started in 2001, IJM's office in Kenya works to combat police abuse of power against the poor, as well as sexual assault of children. IJM's focus moving forward is to ensure the well-being of the families and staff affected by this crime, the swift conviction of all involved, and systemic change in Kenya's justice system to protect the poor and vulnerable from violence.

Read more at IJM.ca or learn more about IJM Kenya here.

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