Pressure mounts on police to produce missing lawyer and his clients

Inspector-General of Police, Mr Joseph Boinnet, on the spot over resolved cases of missing lawyers and other Kenyans.
By ABDULHAKUM SHERMAN
newsdesk@dailyreporter.co.ke
Pressure mounted on the Government yesterday to explain the mysterious disappearance of a lawyer, his client and a taxi driver.
The Law Society of Kenya today demanded for an explanation from the government on the circumstances surrounding the disappearance of lawyer Willie Kimani, his client and taxi driver moments after attending court.
LSK president Isaac Okero said the trend of people going missing was alarming and demanded that security agencies 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,” Mr Okero.
Mr Okero said Mr Kimani was working as an investigator at the International Justice Mission when he went missing on June 23 in company of two other people.
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.
Mr Okero demanded an explanation from both Inspector-General of Police, Mr Joseph Boinnet and the Independent Policising Oversight Authority (IPOA).
“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.”
He asked lawyers to from Wednesday to start a silent protest by wearing a purple ribbon demanding action to find Mr Kimani.
“The Law Society of Kenya calls upon all its members to don purple ribbons beginningtomorrow (Wednesday) 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,” Mr Okero said.
Mr Muriuki, an advocate of the High Court, disappeared on December 30, 2013 and has never been seen since.
Mr 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.
He noted that 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 was bound to crumble.
“This climate of terror must end”, he added.
He said LSK has been receiving reports also 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.