Meru residents protest Maribel Kapolon’s murder

Demonstrators in Meru condemn the murder of nine-year-old school girl Maribel Kapolon. She was the daughter of Githongo Law courts Senior resident magistrate Caroline Kemei. [Olivia Murithi, Standard]

Demonstrations have been held to condemn the abduction and murder of school girl Maribel Kapolon  in Meru.

Ripples International- a child protecting organization- and Centre for Rights Education and Awareness led mothers on a peaceful demonstration from Nteere Grounds to the Meru Directorate of Criminal Investigations office.

There they condemned what they termed as cold blood murder of the minor cowardly.

“We cannot keep quiet when our children are being murdered. We need to be reassured of justice and the protection children,” said Santa Sebastian a member of CREAW Kenya.

Meru Senator Kiraitu Murugi addressed the protestors and encouraged the mothers to keep on demonstrating as it was within their constitutional rights to do so in order to seek justice for the nine-year-old girl.

“Provision of security is a national job. The County Commissioner together with the police should conduct investigations and find justice for the family. They should leave no stone unturned” Kiraitu said.

Maribel is the daughter of Caroline Kemei, the senior resident magistrate at the Githongo Law Courts, Meru. She was kidnapped and tortured to death by her captors. Maribel’s body was found on Monday after she went missing 10 days ago.

The girl disappeared on September 6, 2018 at around 5pm after she was dropped by a school bus.

According to preliminary reports given to the police, Maribel was picked by a man known to her near Total Petrol Station along the Meru town-Makutano road.

“The man called her and she rushed to him shouting ‘habari uncle’. There was no commotion hence her colleagues and those in nearby shops could not suspect anything sinister. Detectives have been questioning family members trying to unearth the motives of the kidnappers,” said North Imenti Deputy County Commissioner Isaac Masinde.

Meru County Commissioner Wilfred Nyagwanga also addressed the demonstrators when they camped in front of his office. He asked them to strengthen the Nyumba Kumi initiative as those who abduct children are usually close neighbors insisting that this was an isolated case and that the judiciary wasn’t being target.

“Investigations are undergoing and we already have two suspects in custody. We ask you to be patient with us and let the law take its course as we have the evidence we need to charge the suspects,” Wilfred said.

The murder of Maribel Kaplon has caused public outcry, with FIDA Kenya asking the office of the Inspector General of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions and Director of Criminal Investigations to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime are brought to book.