Mark Too's burial case lawyer disappears

Lawyer and uncle to the late Kanu nominated MP Mark Too, Simon Chepsiror Lilan addresses the press in Eldoret town. He calls for an independent foreign pathology, arguing that the deceased was assassinated. 03.01.2017. PHOTOS BY PETER OCHIENG/STANDARD.

A lawyer who unsuccessfully tried to block the burial of prominent politician Mark Too has gone missing.

The family of the Eldoret-based lawyer, Simon Lilan, say he has been missing since Monday, when Mr Too was buried.

According to the family, Lilan, 50, disappeared after a press conference in Eldoret, where he claimed his life was in danger.

He said some powerful forces wanted to eliminate him for seeking answers to the circumstances that led to the death of the former nominated MP.

Lilan had called for more investigations after he disputed a postmortem report released to the family, which said Too died of a heart attack. The lawyer claimed Too was assassinated.

John Talam, the lawyer's older brother, said he last saw him at 11am in Eldoret town on Monday.

"Soon after the press briefing, we went to town where he told me to go and park the car we were using at the fire station. He said he would catch up with me after withdrawing money for fuel. I waited for him until 4pm but he never showed up," he said.

Mr Talam said attempts to contact his brother through his mobile phone were fruitless as his phone was switched off.

He said Lilan had not contacted his wife, further heightening the family's concern.

"I reported the matter at the Eldoret Police Station the same day he went missing," said Talam, who added that his brother began fearing for his life as soon as he embarked on seeking answers to Too's death.

"It reached a point when he could no longer wear suits and chose to wear a cap and sit in the back seat of the car instead of his usual front seat," he said.

INVESTIGATIONS LAUNCHED

Eldoret West OCPD Samuel Mutunga confirmed that a Missing Person report on the lawyer had been made and investigations launched.

Meanwhile, a Nairobi-based lawyer has sought to clarify that he is not the one involved in the unsuccessful court case to block Too's burial.

Paul Lilan, a partner at Lilan & Koech Associates, said many people had mistaken him for Simon Lilan.

"Since the Eldoret-based lawyer, with whom I share a surname, started raising issues about Too's death, people from across the country began calling me to ask why I was interfering with the nominated MP's funeral," said Lilan.

He said he neither shared a blood relationship with the Eldoret lawyer nor worked with him in the same firm.