‘Learned march’ as lawyers camp at police HQs over abduction of colleague

Pressure is mounting on the police to explain the whereabouts of a missing lawyer who was abducted last week alongside his client and a taxi driver.

Hundreds of lawyers, angered by inaction of authorities since Thursday to trace the disappearance of lawyer Willie Kimani, Wednesday converged at the Judiciary headquarters in Nairobi before heading to police headquarters.

The lawyers, donning pink ribbons, were led by Nairobi branch Law Society of Kenya (LSK) Chairman Charles Kanjama and Council Member Edwin Sifuna who have pointed an accusing finger at the police for having a hand in the disappearance.

“We understand from global investigations from Human Rights bodies that it is possible our colleague is in the custody of Administration Police or at least that the last time he was seen, he was in the custody of Administration Police,” said Sifuna.

The missing lawyer, who worked at the US-based International Justice Mission, was abducted alongside the two other people on their way back to Nairobi after attending a court session in Mavoko, Machakos County.

“Abduction of any Kenyan is a criminal offence, there is a lawful way of securing arrest of suspects, but this kind of abduction is a criminal offence,” said Kanjama.