Muslims bear brunt of extra-judicial killings

There were demonstrations in various parts of the country for the better part of last week following the brutal murder of lawyer Willie Kimani and two others.

The macabre killing of the Syokimau three was not an isolated case of extra-judicial killings by security officers.

The Muslim community has always complained of extra-judicial killings especially at the Coast, plus other rights abuses such as ethnic and religious profiling, torture and abductions.

Although there is no official record to show the exact number of victims of the abuses, Muslim community leaders and human rights activists have announced in the past that they had received hundreds of complaints of enforced disappearances and extra-judicial execution of Muslims, mostly youths.

These injustices are believed to be the handiwork of counter-terrorism security officials, who mete out the acts under the pretext of combating terrorism.

Anybody suspected of engaging in criminality should be subjected to the rule of law. The accused people must be held under the legal maxim that a person is presumed innocent until proven guilty.

The Government should ensure it rids the police service of impunity.