Human Rights and Protection of Lawyers

Murder of Human Rights Lawyer Willie Kimani


On June 30 2016, Mr. Willie Kimani, lawyer at the NGO International Justice Mission; Josphat Mwendwa, one of Mr. Kimani’s client; and their taxi drive, were found  dead on the bank of a river 73 km north-east of Nairobi. The three men went missing on June 23, after a court appointment at Makovo Law Court, 60 km South-east of Nairobi. It was reported that they have been  abducted by administration police officers.

Willie Kimani represented Mr. Mwenda in a case against a Kenyan police officer who was accused of corruption.

Mr. Kimani had also represented several political prisoners and victims of state abuses. 

The UIA sent a letter to the Law Society of Kenya (LSK) to express its solidarity with the victims and the LKS’s members (see below).  It also expressed support for the actions undertaken by the legal profession’s representatives in Kenya.