Renson Mwakandana
A former Kenyan policeman, Fredrick Leliman, who killed a well-known human rights attorney and two other individuals more than six years ago has been sentenced to death by a Kenyan court. Despite the fact that death penalties are legal in Kenya, they are not executed.
For the deaths of attorney Willie Kimani, his client, and a taxi driver in June 2016, two other ex-policemen and a citizen received sentences ranging from 15 to 39 years in jail.
The four were convicted with three charges, including murder, last year. Within 14 days, each of the four has the right to appeal their verdict and sentence.
In her ruling, Justice Jessie Lessit stated that the trial’s evidence had demonstrated that the killings were premeditated and the victims had been mercilessly tortured before being executed.
The remains of Joseph Muiruri, Willie Kimani, and Josephat Mwendwa were discovered after being thrown into a river outside of Nairobi, the country’s capital.
Josephat Mwenda, a motorbike taxi driver, claimed that police officer Fredrick Leliman, one of the three officers convicted guilty, had shot him without cause during a traffic check in 2015. Mr. Kimani was defending the motorbike driver.
On June 23, 2016, Mr. Kimani, Mr. Mwenda, and their taxi driver Joseph Muiruri were last seen in a police station. Two weeks later, their dismembered remains were discovered in a river 62 miles (100 km) outside the city.
