Willie Kimani Through The Eyes Of IJM And Incessant Call For Reforms In The Judiciary

NAIROBI, Kenya, Sept 20- The International Justice Mission (IJM) is urging the Chief justice to expedite reforms in the Judiciary and deal with the overall backlog of cases.

The lobby group is also calling for the reduction of the timeline a case is ought to have been heard and determined.

While acknowledging the high court’s decision on five suspects over the murder of lawyer Willie Kimani, his client, and taxi driver, IJM says that the five-year delay has denied the affected family’s closure.

Willie Kimani’s presence is still felt on the walls of the IJM offices, where he spent long days and late nights preparing for cases to ensure his clients got the justice they sought.

His smile radiates the boardroom, where his peers have immortalised him, saying that his fighting spirit still lives on within the isles he once walked.

“We can’t forget Willie. He was such a huge personality, such a great friend. That even the fact that we have named this hall after him, is our way of remembering him, but he can’t get out our minds,” IJM-Kenya Country Director Benson Shamalla said during an interview with Shahidi News.

For those who knew him and watched him work his best to fight for their clientele, they can still feel his presence, although the cruel hand of death robbed them of a man, they looked up to.

“Willie had this unique laugh. Whenever he walked into the office in the morning, people would know he has arrived. He loved people,” he said.

Five years after his body and that of two others who had been reported missing for days was found, in river Oldonyo Sabuk, many who are still hurt over their death, say the wheels of justice are just turning too slowly.

“Willie’s case started in November 2016, up to September 2021, that’s when we are having the first ruling. We need to have fast-tracking of these cases so that it can build confidence in the criminal justice system so that the public can have that confidence to rely on the criminal justice system,” Shamalla said.

Since the bodies of Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda, and their taxi driver Joseph Muiruri were discovered days after being reported missing, Kenya has continued to witness such disappearances.

Many are still missing while others have been found brutally murdered.

“We need some kind of legislation and legal framework so that we can say, if you are a police officer and you make somebody disappear and it can be proved that this person is under your custody, then there is need to be some legal action taken against you,” he said.

While the current constitution placed organisations like the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) and Internal Affairs Unit (IAU) to oversight the police, experts now say they need to be more empowered.

“There is also a need to strengthen the witness protection agency so that if you have witnessed a crime, or if you are a survivor of a crime you are put in a form of protection to ensure your safety, before, during, and after the evidence has been given in court,” he said.

IJM believes that justice will be served, no matter how slowly the wheel turns.

Further, the lobby group says there is a need for every County to have a coroner’s office and specialists that can handle bodies and use DNA technology for identification.

Shamalla spoke on the day the High Court placed four police officers and a civilian on their defence for the murder of International Justice Mission lawyer Willie Kimani, client Josephat Mwendwa and driver Joseph Muiruri.

Lady Justice Jessie Lessit in her ruling said she was convinced by the prosecution that the five have a case to answer in the murder of the three.

The police officers are Fredrick Leliman, Stephen Cheburet, Sylvia Wanjiku and, Leonard Mwangi, while the civilian is identified as Peter Ngugi who was the police informer.

“After considering the evidence, I have come to a conclusion that the prosecution has established a prima facie case against all of the accused,” she ruled.