Law Society of Kenya demands action to find lawyer, his client and taxi driver missing since Thursday last week

LSK president Isaac Okero. The Law Society of Kenya wants action be taken to find missing lawyer Willie Kimani, his client and taxi driver who disappeared on Thursday last week. (PHOTO: COURTESY)

The Law Society of Kenya wants action be taken to find missing lawyer Willie Kimani, his client and taxi driver.
LSK President Isaac Okero said the trend is alarming of people going missing and demanded that authorities take action to tame it.

“Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwendwa and their driver Joseph Muiruri must be found. Those responsible for their abduction must be brought to justice. This is a very serious threat to the profession and to the administration of justice,” said Okero.
He said LSK will from Wednesday start a silent protest by wearing a purple ribbon demanding action to find Kimani.

“The Law Society of Kenya calls upon all its members to don purple ribbons beginning tomorrow to show solidarity with our missing brother Willie Kimani, and remembering our brother Albert Muriuki, to demonstrate that we pray for Willie’s safe return and that of his two companions and to express outrage at this impunity that threatens the administration of justice.”

Muriuki, an advocate, vanished on December 30, 2013 and has never been seen since.
Okero said Kimani was working as an investigator at the International Justice Mission when he went missing on June 23 with the other two.

He added Kimani’s  employer believes they may have been abducted after attending court in Mavoko for a case involving an officer of the Administration Police.
Okero said some lawyers are being threatened and intimidated daily, particularly when handling certain criminal cases.

“It is completely unacceptable for him or indeed any advocate to be subjected to threats, intimidation, fear of harm or the risk of deprivation of life while discharging one’s duty as an advocate. It is an outrage that this is happening in our country.”

He added if criminals know that ‘taking out’ advocates and witnesses is the way to succeed in court then the justice system and the rule of law begin to crumble.
This climate of terror must end, he added.

He said LSK has also been receiving reports from members of the public of the disappearance of Kenyans, last seen at the hands of police and cited the case of Erickson Aluda Mambo and Brian Nzenze  who were last seen being escorted to the Kawangare Chief’s Camp on June 1 2016.

“We demand to know what the IGP and IPOA are doing about this. We remind the IGP that over one year has passed since the LSK wrote to him asking to know where investigations into the disappearance of Advocate Albert Muriuki had reached.”