Andrew Wasike
03 February 2023•Update: 03 February 2023
NAIROBI, Kenya
A former Kenyan police officer on Friday was sentenced to death for the murder of human rights lawyer Willie Kimani and two others.
Two more cops and a civilian police informer were also convicted for the June 2016 killing of Kimani, his client, and a taxi driver.
Fredrick Leliman was sentenced to death, while the other three were given prison terms of between 20 and 30 years.
The murder of Kimani, who was known for his tireless work in defending marginalized communities, shocked Kenya and brought extrajudicial killings in the country into the spotlight.
He was killed while working on a case of police brutality.
The bodies of Kimani, Josephat Mwenda, and Joseph Muiruri were found from a river on the outskirts of the capital Nairobi, sparking outrage and calls for justice from human rights defenders and Kenyans in general.
Human rights groups and lawyers have closely followed the case as a test of the Kenyan legal system’s ability to hold to account individuals in positions of power.
Friday’s ruling by Justice Jessie Lessit has been hailed as a victory for justice and a step toward preventing a recurrence of such incidents.
