Photos: Missing victim of Kenyan police brutality, his lawyer, one other, found dead

Bodies identified as those of missing lawyer Willie Kimani and taxi driver Joseph Muiruri were on Thursday night pulled out of Ol Donyo Sabuk River in Kilimambogo. A third body believed to be that of Kimani's client Josphat Mwenda, slipped back into the river.

The two bodies have been taken to the City Mortuary. A lawyer Duncan Kinuthia (pictured speaking to journalists) who has seen the bodies confirmed one of them to be that of Kimani, but the family is yet to verify this.

 

"I was in school with Willie Kimani, he was my senior and having known him for long, I can say that he is the one," Kinuthia said after viewing the body at the City mortuary." said the Law Society of Kenya advocate.

Records at the City Mortuary indicated that they were taken there at 8:15 Friday, having been recovered on Thursday evening. They were marked as unknown male African adults. Police are yet to verify the identity of the other body thought to be that of the lawyer’s client or taxi driver who had taken them to Mavoko Law courts on the day they were abducted.

Both bodies were tied with ropes, an indication of torture before they were killed and thrown into the river.

"The bodies are in a very bad state and it seems they were tortured a lot before they were killed," he said, as they awaited family members to visit the mortuary and identify the bodies.

Three police officers, including an Administration Police officer involved in the case Kimani was pursuing in court have been arrested following orders of Inspector General Joseph Boinnet.

"I have ordered the arrest of three police officers suspected to be linked to the disappearance of lawyer Kimani and his associates to assist in the investigations," Boinnet said.

The arrest of the three follows pressure mounted by the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) which handed a petition to the IG on Wednesday, and immediately filed a case in court seeking orders to have police compelled to produce the three missing persons “dead or alive.”

An interim order was issued Friday, for the police to present a preliminary report on the matter. During the hearing, the lawyers wanted the government to be compelled to disclose their whereabouts. They told the court that it is the responsibility of the State and representative agencies to ensure the safety of its citizens.

Source: Nation Media/ Capital FM