NAIROBI, Kenya Nov 9 – The Law Society of Kenya (LSK) is now calling for a total overhaul of the top leadership in the Ministry of Interior and Coordination of National Government over increased cases of extrajudicial killings and abductions.
LSK specifically want Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiangi, his Principal Secretary Karanja Kibicho and Inspector General of Police Hillary Mutyambai shown the door, accusing them of being perpetrators of the illegalities.
Led by the council representative Bernard Ngetich, LSK said the rot in the ministry emanates from the top leadership as the cases of enforced disappearances have escalated during their tenure.
“Our junior officers are not bad; the culpable people are the top leadership led by CS Matiangi and we would like to tell President Uhuru Kenyatta as he prepares to exit office that he looks into and changes the leadership in security agencies. Let’s have people who respect the law and human rights as well as diverse religious belief,” said Ngetich.
The muslim community has already vowed to stage demonstrations every Friday to protest what their leaders describe as ‘enforced disappearance and extrajudicial killings’ mainly targeting muslims accused of terror links.
Supreme Council of Kenya Muslims (SUPKEM) Chairman Al Hajj Hassan Ole Naado said the community has been unfairly targeted by security forces, particularly the Anti-Terrorism Police Unit (ATPU) which often detains suspects incommunicado.
“As a part of a wide campaign to defend our rights, starting this Friday we are calling upon all Muslims around the country to embark on rallies after Friday prayers to protest these gross injustices,” Naado said at a press conference hours after muslim scholar Professor Hassan Nandwa was freed.
SUPKEM believes Nandwa was held by police since last month when he went to report the disappearance of Elgiva Bwire, a man who had been freed after terror charges.
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Nandwa went missing and was never seen until Sunday night when he was dumped in a thicket in Mwingi but his client is yet to be traced.
According to the muslim leaders, 133 people have been killed and others disappeared this year alone while over 1,000 people have been killed by security forcer since 2007. 28 of the cases are in court, according to the muslim leaders’ tally.
Amnesty International said in 2020 that more than 740 Kenyans were killed by police since 2007, including at least 130 in 2020.
LSK has issued an ultimatum of 30 days to President Uhuru Kenyatta to sack the top security chiefs.
“As lawyers, if we will not see changes in the next 30 days we will go to court and file a suit suing President Uhuru Kenyatta, the Attorney General Kihara Kariuki. We hope the court will rule that Matiangi, Kibicho and Mutyambai have no moral authority to lead Interior docket which is key in the country,” said Ngetich.
LSK Chief Executive Officer Mercy Wambua said they will not relent in their quest for justice even with the release of Nandwa.
“I spoke to Professor Nandwa through his mobile phone but no much details have been given [to us] on where he was and who were his abductors and what has been happening. We agreed to give him time to seek medical attention. We do not know yet where his client Bwire is but we will continue with the search as we request his abductors to release him alive,” said Wambua.
LSK Chairman for Nairobi Chapter Erick Theuri is already pushing to have Safaricom comply with a court order to produce Nandwa’s call logs.
“We hope that once supplied with the call records of Prof Nandwa we will be able to trace his last movements. We understand he is frail, but we will have a discussion with him on what really happened,” said Theuri.
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The lawyers’ body has also announced plans to hold countrywide peaceful demonstrations on Wednesday to protest the abduction of Nandwa who was found on Sunday night.
According to LSK, the demonstrations under the “Purple Ribbon Campaign Week” are meant to speak against extrajudicial killings and disappearances.
Police Headquarters has not responded to a request for comment from us on the claims by the Muslim leaders.
