Slain Kenyan human rights lawyer Willie Kimani and a taxi driver were laid to rest last Saturday in their hometowns. This took place amid calls for top officials to resign over police-linked extra-judicial killings. I do not want to be fooled by the calls of justice just as I wouldn't want any Kenyan to be fed with false hope of justice.
We have seen cases since independence of leaders being assassinated and others killed in cold blood with no justice on their crying blood. We have sat down with great hopes and heard the normal hymn by the police that no stone would be left unturned. At this stage I am beginning to wonder if there is a stone to turn in real sense.
The police have always made promises leaving the loved ones of the victims high and dry with nothing but bitterness in their hearts. I wouldn't be wrong to say there is no justice in the country as so far, I have witnessed none. One can even be forgiven to assume that the murderers in Kenya operate beyond the law and are somehow protected from exposure. What makes this case a unique one is its relation to the police. All the evidence and motive gathered so far points out to a rogue sector of the police.
It is extremely unlikely that the rogue officers accused of the murder acted so as to avoid all notice by their colleagues. It is my hunch that the police are just waiting for the publicity of the case to cool off before denying the victims a taste of justice. With such a police force, Kenyans are left wondering who will be the next victim.
Since 2013 the government has been vetting Kenya’s entire national police force trying to restore its image but even according to the Global Anti-corruption Coalition Transparency International, Kenya's Police Force is the most corrupt institution in the country. The cause of extra-judicial execution in the country is definitely corruption. It is such a pity that this is happening in our country. If criminals decide that killing advocates and witnesses is the way to succeed in court then the justice system and the rule of law begin to crumble. Or has it crumbled already?
This feeling of terror must end. I am calling upon Kenyan authorities to strengthen efforts towards accountability and take measures to prevent extrajudicial executions and police brutality and other serious violations of law and justice. It is imperative to throw full light on what happened and to establish all possibilities related to these atrocious murders. We need back our justice.
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