Torment of Mavoko 3 recounted in court

The chairman of the south eastern branch of the Law Society of Kenya, Andrew Makundi (centre) leads lawyers and members of the civil society in Machakos in calling for an end to extra-judicial killings on July 4, 2016 after the bodies of lawyer Willie Kimani, his client Josephat Mwenda and their taxi driver Joseph Muiruri were found in a river in Machakos on July 1, 2016. PHOTO | STEPHEN MUTHINI | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • Dr Andrew Kanyi said Willie Kimani, Josephat Mwenda and Joseph Muiruri died under similar circumstances.
  • The pathologist said Mr Mwenda had extensive head injuries. He was also assaulted on the neck and chest.

The torment a human rights lawyer, his client and their taxi driver underwent at the hands of their killers was recounted in a Nairobi court on Wednesday when a pathologist presented the post-mortem reports to a judge.

Dr Andrew Kanyi said lawyer Willy Kimani, 32, was extensively tortured.

“He had 14 injuries on various parts of the body, the head had extensive fractures of the skull and his testicles were crushed,” he said.

Dr Kanyi said: “Death was due to head injuries caused by a blunt object trauma”.

He said taxi driver Joseph Muiruri and Mr Kimani’s client Josephat Mwenda died under similar circumstances.

The pathologist said Mr Mwenda had extensive head injuries. He was also assaulted on the neck and chest.

On Wednesday, proceedings were adjourned to Tuesday to allow lawyers to participate in a demonstration in the city centre.

The protests, organised by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK), have disrupted court proceedings countrywide.

A requiem Mass for the lawyer has been scheduled for Friday. At the same time mobile service provider Safaricom has been accused unwillingness to release crucial information that may help investigations into the murders, the High Court heard on Wednesday.

Lawyers now want the firm compelled “to change its stance from a passive spectator to an active player in the investigation”.

The Law Society of Kenya said data in Safaricom’s custody “should show the planning and execution” of the triple murder that has shocked the nation.

“There must have been some flow of information and the respondent holds this evidence,” Mr Charles Kanjama, the Nairobi branch LSK chairman said.

Mr Kanjama and Mr Kirimi Guantai, also for LSK, told Justice Luka Kimaru that the company had “deliberately omitted” data transcripts in a schedule they had requested for certain subscribers between May and June.
“We notice that some information was not supplied including content that was important to proceedings,” Mr Guantai said.

The LSK had requested Safaricom to provide details.