Rights body launches petition for AP boss removal over killings

Slain lawyer Willie Kimani’s former employer International Justice Mission (IJM) has launched an online petition calling for the removal from office of Deputy Inspector General of Police Samuel Arachi.

Mr Gary Haugen, the CEO of the International Justice Mission, said on Tuesday the petition (available at http://www.justiceinkenya.org) also calls for urgent prosecution of all those involved in the killing.

“We are demanding the immediate end of police abuse of power in Kenya in solidarity with our dear colleague, Willie Kimani, Josephat Mwenda (client), a trusted driver Joseph Muiruri, and all those who have fallen victim to the outrageous impunity that has come to plague the nation in this era," he said in a statement.

Mr Arachi, as the Deputy IG, is in charge of the Administration Police whose members have been arrested in connection with the murder of Mr Kimani and his clients.

Mr Kimani disappeared on June 23 after a court hearing where he had gone to represent Josephat Mwenda.

Their bodies together with that of their taxi driver, Joseph Muiruri, were found a week later, dumped in a river in Machakos.

Mr Mwenda had also filed a case of harassment against an AP officer to the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA).

Although the police have denied sanctioning those killings, and arrested the suspected officers, IJM says the head of the unit must go.

“Today, we are calling on President Kenyatta to quickly align himself on the side of justice by taking bold action in the swift prosecution of all those involved in this horrific murder and removal of the head of the Administration Police, Deputy Inspector General Samuel M Arachi,” IJM said.

NATIONAL PROTESTS

The killings have rattled many civil society groups, human rights activists and lawyers’ bodies who on Monday staged countrywide demonstrations to protest the incident.

But lawyers have since vowed to stay away from courts in continued protests for a week.

IJM, an American legal aid NGO, says it is also involving Western embassies in Nairobi to push for prosecution of the suspects.

US Ambassador Robert Godec together with several other Western heads of missions in Nairobi issued a statement calling for urgent prosecution.

“The individuals responsible for these crimes must face prosecution regardless of whether they are private citizens or members of the NPS (National Police Service).

“Holding police officers accountable for violations of human rights and other forms of misconduct is vital to end impunity in the police service and to establish safety and security for all Kenyans,” the diplomats said.

(Editing by Joel Muinde)