Willie Kimani: No mercy for killers, say families

Suspects in the murder of lawyer Willie Kimani, his client and a taxi driver during their ruling on July 22, 2022. [Esther Jeruto, Standard]

The family of slain lawyer Willie Kimani has asked the court to issue maximum sentences for three police officers and a civilian who killed him, his client and a taxi driver.

Through a victim impact report filed through the International Justice Mission (IJM), the relatives of the three ruled out any mercy for Fredrick Leliman, Stephen Morogo, Sylvia Wanjohi and Peter Ngugi for brutally ending the lives of their breadwinners.

"The victims have waited six long years for justice to be served. This has affected them emotionally, financially and psychologically. The case remains a constant trigger of the traumatic events and it is their prayer that the court considers their pain while determining the sentence," said IJM.

IJM filed the victim impact assessment report through its aftercare specialist John Kangethe to be considered before sentencing of Leliman, Morogo, Wanjohi and Ngugi, who were found guilty of killing Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri.

The sentencing was, however, postponed to December 16 since the trial judge Jessie Lessit was not available.

For the family of lawyer Kimani, IJM stated that his wife, parents and siblings have not come to terms with his death and continue to struggle to make a living since he was their sole bread winner.

"The wife developed generalised anxiety disorder while his eldest son keeps asking when his father will come back home to play with him. Both of Willie's parents developed high blood pressure and are on medication to date," said Kangethe.

He added that Kimani's siblings lack hope for the future given that he was the one educating their children while their father, who spent all his resources to educate him, has given up with life.

Kangethe told the court that Mwenda's wife was so affected with his death and threats from unknown people, which forced her to move to a secret location where she continues to suffer depression.

The family of the taxi driver who met his death just for doing his obligation of fending for his family also asked the court to issue maximum sentences to atone for his death.

"His siblings are still hurting because of his murder. They were left orphans following the death of their parents and it was Muiruri who took up the taxi business to support his siblings. It is their prayer that the court issues maximum punishment," said Kangethe.

Justice Lessit in July found the three police officers and the civilian guilty of killing the three on the night of June 23, 2016, in Soweto area within Mlolongo, Machakos County.

The judge found that Leliman was the architect of the plot to eliminate Kimani, Mwenda and Muiruri and recruited Morogo, Wanjohi and Ngugi to carry out the macabre killings in an open field.

Evidence by the prosecution showed that the three victims were waylaid after leaving the Mavoko Courts and abducted, taken to Syokimau Police Post and bundled in the cells without booking, and then removed and taken to the killing field at night.

According to Justice Lessit, the post-mortem report confirmed that the three died of injuries suffered from blunt objects, which crushed their skulls, and strangulation by the officers.

When the matter came up for direction, Justice Daniel Ogembo directed that the pre-sentence report by the probation officer be supplied to the accused for their lawyers to make any response before the sentencing on December 16.