IJM welcomes murder charges against Leliman and Lelei

The International Justice Mission (Kenya) has welcomed the arrest and the arraignment of Mlolongo police station Chief Inspector Stephen Lelei and Sergeant Fredrick Leliman.

Both Lelei and Leliman are accused of killing Jacob Mbai and Elizabeth Nduku in Mlolongo town on May 27, 2016.

The statement from IJM county director Benson Shamala on Thursday stated that police abuse of power is a systemic problem in Kenya that needs a collective concerted effort.

He said that the organisation will work with the government to ensure the reform agenda in the National Police Service is realised.

“We have officers who continue to misuse their powers by extorting, brutalising, maiming and even killing those they should protect,” Shamala said.

He said that officers misusing their powers should be removed from the service and held to account if Kenya is to realise meaningful police reforms.

The two officers appeared in Machakos High Court before Justice David Kemei, with Leliman, who is remanded at Kamiti, appearing via Skype.

Leliman is also on trial in the murder of lawyer Willie Kimani, who was murdered on June 23, 2016, alongside Josephat Mwenda and driver Joseph Muiruri.

IJM said the killings of Willie, Josephat and Joseph are a constant reminder of the violence that victims of police abuses have had to endure and that it ignites the quest to combat violence.

Shamala said the recent killings linked to the police officers against innocent Kenyans should equally be investigated and justice served to the victims.

“According to the Missing Voices website this year alone, 95 cases of police killings have been recorded. 17 of these cases are related to the Covid-19 curfew enforcement. We want to see justice served in all the cases reported against police officers, especially during the Covid -19 time including that of Yassin Moyo.”

On Tuesday, Ipoa said that 15 Kenyans have lost their lives in the hands of police as they implement curfew directives.

Ipoa said the 15 deaths are among 87 complaints against the police it has received since March 27, when heightened security measures were put in place to combat the spread of Covid-19.

This comes as the Director of Public Prosecution Noordin Haji proved the arrest of police officer linked with the death of a 13-year-old Yasin.